My Soul to Keep
by c00kiefic
Summary: Now I lay me down to sleep... the sequel to Into the Woods
1. What's to Come

My Soul to Keep.

The long awaited sequel to Into the Woods. Now I lay me down to sleep…

I own nothing.

A/N: This chapter is going to confuse the hell out of you, but I promise that answers will eventually be revealed, so long as you trust me and are patient. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, as I've got a lot of stuff on my plate, but I'll try to make it by next weekend at least.

Warning: This story is going to be very, very, very dark and will deal with things that might be considered uncomfortable by some. However, they are not done for mere shock value, and actually serve a purpose in the telling of this story.

* * *

The basement was oddly quiet for three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. As Hyde made his way down to the basement to hang out, he noticed that the lights were turned out and both the TV and the stereo were off. He was also quick to notice that Eric, Donna and Fez were all sitting on the couch with their knees hugged against their chests. Neither of them spoke as Hyde continued to watch them from the steps. Just as he was about to let them know he was there he heard Donna sigh.

"How long has it been?" Donna asked Eric.

How long has it been since what? Hyde wondered.

"Fifteen minutes." Eric answered after taking a glance at his deputy dog watch. "Don't worry, she'll be here."

"What if she's not?" Fez finally said.

"Don't say that." Donna snapped. "Don't even think it, she'll come."

Hyde wanted to ask who they were talking about, or rather, if it was Jackie they were talking about, but was once again interrupted, this time by the basement door opening and Kelso walking in, followed by Jackie. Instantly the three sitting on the couch stood up and ran towards her. No one noticed Hyde as the five hugged each other. He studied their faces for a moment, trying to figure out what had happened, but the only conclusion he could make was that something bad at happened, but what? And then he saw Jackie reach into her purse and pull out a knife. "She said this will work."

Who was this she Jackie was talking about? What would work?

The others nodded and one by one, they sat in their usual spots in the circle, with Hyde's chair left empty. Jackie, still holding onto the knife, put it against her palm. Knowing what was about to happen, Hyde stepped forward to let them know he was there.

"So, what's up?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant. However he was ignored as Jackie cut both her palms and then handed the knife to Kelso. Hyde watched as his friend cut deep into his own palms, wincing in pain as he did so. One by one, they passed the knife around, cutting into their palms. The moment Fez handed the knife back to Jackie, placed the knife in the center of the circle and the five of them stood up. Jackie grabbed Kelso's hand, and then he grabbed Donna's, who took Eric's, who took Fez's, who finally took Jackie's other hand. Their faces were oddly stoic as Donna started to recite in Latin. He couldn't understand the words, but he understood the meaning behind them.

This wasn't your average best friends, blood brothers and sisters' ritual; this was deeper in both its meaning and context. Once again, Hyde tapped Kelso's shoulder, and once again, Kelso continued to ignore him.

"Okay you guys, this isn't funny anymore." Hyde said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. "Jackie?"

Jackie however, had her eyes glued to the floor as she listened to Donna.

"What's next?" Eric asked softly after Donna finished.

"She said we wait." Jackie answered.

"That's it?" Eric squeaked, "We wait?"

Jackie nodded her head. "Sorry."

Eric shook his head apologetically. "No Jackie, don't be sorry." He walked over to her and put his bloody hands on hers. "I don't mind waiting, really."

Jackie looked up at Eric and smiled. "Thanks."

"God this hurts." Kelso said, clutching his palms together.

"Tell me about it." Fez replied, "Someone remembered bandages right?"

"They're in Hyde's room." Eric told him as he stood up. "I'll go get them."

"No." Donna interjected. "I'll get them."

Hyde followed Donna into his room where he watched her reach underneath his cot for the first aid kit. Instead of walking out however, Donna sat on the bed.

Hyde sat down next to her. "So, want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Shit." Donna muttered to herself. "What the hell did you do?"

"That's what I want to know!" Hyde shouted at Donna. She just stood up though and walked out of the room. Hyde started to follow her stopped when he noticed something very strange in the mirror.

His reflection was gone.

* * *

Okay, he thought as he sat in his chair, there was no need to panic. He watched his friends carry on as though nothing had happened, the only evidence of their earlier blood ritual were the knife still sitting on the coffee table and their hands covered in white gauze. The conversation however, was light and the stereo was now on. There was probably a perfectly logical explanation as to why he didn't have a reflection. There was also a perfectly logical explanation as to why his friends kept acting as though he wasn't there.

"It's time." Eric said, breaking Hyde's thoughts. He and the others stood up to follow him out of the basement. Hyde watched as they walked in a line out of the door. Jackie however, stopped at the door and then ran to get the knife. "Almost forgot." She said to no one in particular. At the door, she looked around again, this time; tears were running down her face. All Hyde wanted to do was go to her and hold her until she stopped, but something kept him from doing so. Even though Jackie was only three feet away from him, she felt like she was miles away.

"Come on Jackie." Fez said, putting his hand on Jackie's shoulder. "We need to go."

Jackie nodded, but said nothing as she followed Fez out the door. Hyde quickly made his way to follow them, running out the door before Jackie could shut it. He made a vow to himself to never let Jackie out of his sight. He barely noticed it was pitch black outside until he got to the car. Looking up, he saw that the Forman's front porch light was on, and the sky was dark. How long had they been sitting in that basement?

"Did you remember to leave a note for your mom and dad?" Donna was asking Eric.

Forman nodded. "Yeah, I left it on the kitchen table; you left a note for Bob?"

Donna smiled sadly. "I can't believe this."

Eric put his arm around Donna. "Hey, it'll be okay." He placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll see."

"Do we have everything?" Jackie asked them as Eric got into the drivers seat. Hyde instinctively got into the back seat, not wanting to be left behind by his friends.

"Jackie, that's the twelfth time you've asked that question." Donna replied.

"I know, I just don't want to leave and then find out we forgot something."

"How about someone?" Hyde interjected sarcastically, knowing he wasn't going to be answered.

"I triple checked everything." Donna said to Jackie, "We're good."

Jackie nodded and then put her hands on the Vista Cruiser along with everyone else to push the car out of the driveway. He breathed a sigh of relief when it was Jackie who sat next to him, and not Fez or Kelso. They all sat in pointed silence as Eric drove.

Hyde was more than a little shocked when Eric stopped the car on the side of the road in front of Jackie's house.

Eric turned around to Kelso.

"Be quick." He ordered.

"Gotcha." Kelso answered as he opened the car door. He turned to Jackie who was looking through her window at her house.

"Are you sure about this?" Kelso asked.

Jackie didn't look at him as she answered. "Yeah, it needs to be done."

Kelso shrugged at the others and then got out of the car. Hyde watched him run into the house and then turned his attention back on Jackie. Oddly enough, she wasn't crying, or trying to be Zen. No, she was smiling.

Donna turned around in her seat to look at Jackie. "How are you doing?"

Jackie shook her head. "I'm okay."

Donna however, continued to frown at her best friend. "Are you sure? How are you doing on pain killers?"

Jackie closed her eyes in thought. "I think I've got enough for a while. We might have to get some more soon though."

Donna nodded. "We'll get you more, I promise, and some vitamins."

Jackie reached over and took Donna's hand. "Thanks."

Hyde knew that Jackie wasn't thanking Donna just for the offer to get her more pain killers, and from the smile on Donna's face, he knew she understood that as well.

"Jackie, I know we had this conversation before but…"

"I know." Jackie interjected; squeezing Donna's bandaged hand with her own.

"You know?" Donna asked.

"I know." Jackie answered.

The conversation would have gone on if it hadn't been for the sight of red and yellow flames coming from the living room window and Kelso running out the front door. Eric started the car again as Kelso jumped inside.

"Go!" Kelso shouted as he slammed the door. The tires squealed as Eric pushed down on the gas peddle. There was no time to watch as Jackie's childhood home burned to the ground.

"I set fires in each room." Kelso told them after Eric had turned the corner.

Jackie nodded in approval. "Hopefully they'll think I was in there."

Fez pursed his lips together. "Girl drowns wakes up from coma only to die in a fire."

The others, including Jackie, all laughed.

"It is rather ironic, isn't it?" She said.

"That reminds me, are we supposed to take the knife back?" Donna asked.

Jackie shook her head. "She said we could keep it. Actually what she said was we need it more than her."

"That's for sure." Eric coughed.

Again, Hyde wondered, who was this she they all kept referring to?

After awhile, Eric reached over and turned on the stereo. Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here played.

"Eric, turn it." Donna ordered.

Eric started to reach over to turn the dial but Jackie interrupted. "It's okay, leave it."

"You sure?" Donna asked her best friend.

"I'm sure." Jackie answered.

The song continued to play; Fez was singing softly to himself, Kelso was holding up his lighter, waving it front of his own face. Jackie was staring out of the window, a soft smile on her beautiful face. Hyde ached to be able to reach over and brush the strand of hair out of her eyes. Instead, Jackie reached up and put the strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Eric, do you mind stopping?" Jackie asked as they passed the now leaving Point Place sign.

Eric sighed but quickly relented at Donna's glare.

"Yeah, okay." He said pulling over to the side of the road. Jackie quickly got out the car, followed by Donna who ran after her into the woods. Taking a quick look at his three male friends who were remaining inside the car, Hyde followed the girls.

He found them sitting on log with Donna's arm around Jackie's shoulders.

"I thought this would be easier." Jackie confessed.

"Me too, I thought I'd just be able to get up and go." Donna agreed.

"You know, I thought I'd never want to see this place again." Jackie said gesturing around her. "But this is the place where my life changed forever, you know?"

Once again, Donna agreed with her. "I think all of our lives changed that day."

Hyde took a look around. While it looked different, it certainly felt the same. The same eerie dread that filled him up the last time he was there threatened to over take him again. Not wanting to relive the memories, he walked back to the car to wait for Jackie and Donna to return.

"I keep thinking we're forgetting something." Eric was saying.

"Your wallet?" Kelso suggested.

"No, got that." Eric replied.

"Uh, your hair brush?" Fez asked.

Eric turned around and glared at Fez. "My hairbrush?"

Fez shrugged. "What, you don't want you hair to look bad."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, out of everything, that's what I'm mostly worried about, my hair looking good." He turned back towards the front.

"I'm still forgetting something though." Eric said. The other two were oddly quiet, unable to come up with any more suggestions.

"Oh wait." Kelso exclaimed, "Did you tell Leo?"

"Leo!" Eric hit the steering wheel. "That's what I forgot."

Kelso bit back a laugh. "Dude, you forgot to tell Leo?"

"You guys, they're coming back!" Fez hissed. The other two stopped arguing as Donna and Jackie got back into the car.

"Find what you were looking for?" Eric asked.

"No Eric, we weren't able to find your balls." Jackie replied.

Instead of following with a burn of his own, Eric simply grinned at Jackie, who grinned back.

"We've got a bit of a problem." Eric told them.

"He forgot to tell Leo we were leaving." Kelso blurted out.

"Kelso!" Eric yelled.

"Well, we can't go back." Donna stated. "We'll just have to call him in the morning."

"Maybe we shouldn't." Jackie said softly.

The others, except for Eric whose eyes were on the road in front of them, turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Donna asked. "Leo deserves to know that we're gone."

Jackie shrugged. "I know, it's just… what if he tells the Formans?"

The others sighed, knowing Jackie was right.

"Damn, he might not remember that we told him not to tell." Kelso added.

"So what do we do?" Fez pondered.

"Look," Donna said, "We'll call him, but we won't tell him that Jackie is with us, and we won't tell him where we're going." She looked at Jackie, "Is that okay?"

Jackie nodded. "Yeah, that's okay."

Hyde watched as Jackie tapped Donna on the shoulder.

"I need to replace my bandages." She said.

"Me too." Kelso agreed.

"Me three." Fez added.

Donna nodded as she bent over to retrieve the box in front of her. "Pull over to the next rest stop and we'll change your bandages." She told Eric who nodded his consent.

Silently, Donna took off her own bandages. She gasped as she looked at her hands.

"What is it?" Eric asked frantically.

"They're gone." Donna said.

"What do you mean they're gone?" Jackie asked quizzically.

Donna held up her palms to show the others. Both palms were perfectly healed, which was impossible. Quickly, the others removed their own bandages to see the same thing on their own hands. It was then that Hyde noticed the white gold band on Jackie's hand.

She was married? When had that happened? Nervously, he looked down at his own hand and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the similar white gold band on his own finger. It was strangely comforting to know that he and Jackie were married. Taking another glance at her, he noticed the small bump of her usually flat stomach, and Jackie's other hand resting protectively over it. She was going to have his baby. Hyde put his hand on top of hers, hoping that she would be able to feel it.

"It must have been the knife." Donna said slowly.

The others nodded, except for Eric.

"This doesn't mean we he have to do it again does it?" Eric asked worriedly.

Jackie shook her head. "No, it worked."

They all fell into silence as they drove away from Point Place. Questions filled Hyde's head, where were they going? Why did they want it to look like Jackie was dead? When had they gotten married? But most importantly, what had happened to him?

* * *

If you want answers, you know what to do. 


	2. The Long Lost Princess

Wow everyone, the response to the last chapter was better than I could have hoped. Thanks so much. I know you're all confused, but like I said, all you need is a little patience. And yes, I wrote that in my Axel Rose voice.

This chapter is really kind of boring action wise. But we have to start at the beginning if we're going to get to how Hyde got in his present state right? I don't know if I mentioned this before, but this story is going to be long. It might be awhile before we actually get to the events of the prior chapter. My advice is to enjoy the ride, because a lot is going to happen.

* * *

The Long, Lost Princess.

Three months ago…

The only thought in Jackie's head was that she was going to have a bruise on her hip from where her boyfriend was pressing his hand. She found though that she really didn't care however, because his other hand was tracing its way up her other thigh and his mouth was placing gentle kisses on her neck. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him, tugging at his shirt.

The thought that they were doing this in a hospital bed didn't even occur in Jackie's mind. All that mattered was that he, her Steven, was with her and for the first time in over a year, she was truly happy.

Her only regret was that it took her falling into a creek, drowning and landing in a coma for that to happen. When she had first woken up from her dream of being a lost princess in a fairy tale land, she had been scared of what was going to happen. Even though she knew it had just been a dream, it had felt more real than anything else in her life, including her father going to prison, her relationships with her boyfriend and her friends. It was almost like all of those things had been the dream, and her battling an evil queen with the guidance of a man who could make himself invisible had been real. At least once a day, she had to remind herself that she really was in a hospital bed, and that her friends weren't just figments of her imagination.

The truth was though, that part of Jackie missed the dream world, not because it was easier than dealing with reality, because she knew that in some ways, the dream world had been even scarier. Even though the man she had affectionately named Not! Eric had been there, she had been alone in those woods, desperately trying to find her prince and a way home. What she missed was the feeling of being strong, and independent. Reality was just a hospital bed, daily tests and long hours of physical therapy to strengthen her body. When Hyde wasn't there, Donna or someone else was. She was never alone.

Choosing to ignore these thoughts, Jackie went back to kissing Hyde. She had made the right choice.

Right?

* * *

"It's time for therapy miss Burkhart." The chipper nurse said the next morning as she wheeled in the wheel chair for Jackie. .

"How am I supposed to eat this Darla, how?" Jackie looked up at the nurse from her breakfast. She put the plastic fork onto the over cooked scrambled eggs in disgust.

Darla leaned over and looked at the eggs. "Are those green?"

Jackie stared at Darla in contempt. "Yes, they are, I'm not eating anything that's green."

"Maybe you could pretend you're Sam I am." The nurse suggested.

"And maybe you could find a hairstyle that doesn't make you look like Mrs. Brady." Jackie challenged.

The nurse shook her head at Jackie. "I liked you better when you were in a coma."

"I'm telling Kitty you said that." Jackie promised.

The nurse shook her head again, taking away the tray of food. "Never mind that now, we have to get you to Doctor Benson."

"But I don't wanna go see him." Jackie whined. "He's a Nazi."

"Now come on Burk, I know you don't like therapy but that doesn't mean that Doctor Benson is a Nazi."

Jackie raised her eyebrows at the woman as she struggled to get out of her bed and into the wheel chair. "How do you explain the mustache then?"

The nurse just shrugged as she started to wheel Jackie out of the room. She was used to this behavior from Jackie, had even come to expect it.

"Here we are." Carla said as they reached the doors to the psychiatrist's office. She quickly tapped on the door to let them know inside that they were there, and then stood back and waited. A moment later, another nurse opened the doors and smiled.

"I'll be back in an hour." Carla told Jackie, who simply shrugged in response.

The moment the other nurse took a hold of Jackie's chair and wheeled her into the office where a balding man who was making coffee with his back turned to Jackie. Jackie sat down on the plush leather sofa as the other nurse walked out.

"Well if it isn't our sleeping princess, awake from the dead." Unlike all the other people had to see during her stay at the hospital, it was only Doctor Benson who liked to constantly remind Jackie that she had, in fact, died twice. This, the mustache and his constant passive aggressive attempts to make her open up gave her plenty of ammunition to hate him with every fiber of her being.

"Oh good, you're here." Doctor Benson said as he turned around, stirring his coffee as he sat down in the chair across from Jackie.

"We have a lot to talk about today." He always started their sessions with this phrase.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "When are they going to let me out?"

"That depends on you Jackie." The doctor said. "Do you think you're ready?"

Whether she was actually ready or not was irrelevant as far as Jackie was concerned. All that mattered was being able to walk out the front doors and into the world again.

"Of course." Jackie said masking her own doubts. "I've been ready; it's been you creeps who're keeping me here."

"Well, Jackie, we just want to make sure you're okay. You did suffer a massive concussion."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "I hit my head on a rock and drowned, of course I had a massive concussion, but as you can tell, no headaches, no internal bleeding or swelling, I'm fine. I do however have a craving for coffee now, do you think that could mean something?"

The doctor shook his head. "You're doing it again Jackie."

"Let me guess, I'm avoiding the issue." Jackie crossed her arms. "Okay here's the deal, I want to go home. I want to go to my house and sleep in my own bed. I want to go hang out in the basement with my friends and watch television and I want to eat Kitty Forman's breakfasts and not have to talk to you or to any other doctor ever again."

"Tell me about your friends." The shrink suggested. "How was your relationship with them before your accident?"

"It was fine." Jackie replied shortly.

"The police report said that Steven Hyde was drunk that night, want to talk about that?"

"Not really."

"The report also said that the two of you had been arguing that day." The doctor was attempting to lead Jackie on, but it wasn't working.

"So?" Jackie asked, "I fell off a log while trying to cross a flooded creek while wearing high heel boots. Something bad was bound to happen."

"What about your friends, did they try to rescue you after you fell in?"

Jackie stared at the doctor in contempt. He was digging far too deep for Jackie's comfort.

"How much longer do I have?" Jackie asked as she tried to look at the clock on his desk.

"You still have forty five minutes." Doctor Benson replied after taking a glance at the clock. "And I'm expecting you to use it wisely."

"Well, in that case…" Jackie replied with a smile, "Tell me, what's up with that mustache."

Fifteen minutes later, Doctor Benson threw his glasses onto the ground.

"Okay, you clearly don't want to do this."

"Now he gets it." Jackie stated. "I'm ready to go home, why can't any of you see that?"

The psychiatrist studied Jackie closely. "What will you do when you get there?"

"What do you mean?" Jackie asked, "You means besides take a shower and wash the smell of death off me?"

"Interesting choice of words there." Doctor Benson said smiling.

"What?" Jackie asked, "This is a hospital, people die here." The words I died here went unspoken. She glared at him, "I swear if the next words out of your mouth are how does that make you feel, I'm walking out."

"You know what, I think that's enough for today." Doctor Benson said standing up, "I'll see you on Thursday."

"What, that's it, I still have ten minutes left." Jackie said, surprised.

"Look Jackie, I've been doing this for over twenty years, but I've never met anyone quite like you before. I wouldn't wish what you went through on my worst enemy, and the fact that you don't want to talk about it, I'm just not sure I can help you."

Jackie sighed, "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's just that I don't know if I can. I feel like I've been given a new start you know? Why would I want to ruin that with talk about the past?"

The doctor didn't say anything, he merely waited for Jackie to continue.

"Before that night, I was having the worst year of my life, and then, when I woke up, it was like… here I am again, ready to do it all again, only this time, it wasn't just me who had changed. Steven made that whore go away, and Donna… Donna was really great the day after I woke up. She came in and we cried together and when she apologized, I knew that she meant it. So, maybe me falling in that creek wasn't such a bad thing." Jackie gave the doctor a small smile.

"So you're saying you think your dying was a catalyst for change?" When Jackie nodded, Doctor Benson continued. "What if you hadn't been revived?"

"Am I supposed to guess?" Jackie asked sarcastically.

"No, that's a dumb question, forget I asked it." The doctor replied flippantly. "Now go. I'll see you Thursday."

Jackie couldn't get out of there fast enough.

* * *

By the time Jackie got back to her room, Hyde, Donna, Fez and Kelso had already arrived.

"Where were you?" Hyde asked as Jackie climbed back into her bed. He handed her a cup of water. Jackie smiled at him and took a sip.

"With Dr. Benson." Jackie complained. "I swear if he asks me what being dead is like one more time…"

"What is being dead like?" Kelso blurted out as Jackie took another drink of her water.

Everyone but Jackie turned and glared at Kelso. Hyde reached over and frogged him on the arm. Jackie however, remained silent. She could feel the poison go down her throat, coating her insides like hot lava.

"No!" Jackie screamed, throwing the cup of water.

Everything seemed to happen in an instant. Fez was running out the door to get help, Kelso was apologizing fervently, Hyde was telling him to shut up, Donna was putting her arms around a sobbing Jackie in an attempt to calm her down.

"I'm so sorry." Kelso repeated. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I didn't mean it, really."

Jackie blinked. "What?" She looked around the room at the worried faces surrounding her. She was about to ask what happened when Fez came running back into the room with Carla.

"What is it Jackie?" Carla asked in her soothing tone.

"It's nothing." Jackie said. "I'm fine."

"That was not nothing." Hyde stated, "Something freaked her out and she threw her water." Hyde told Carla.

Carla merely nodded her head. "I'm going to go find Dr. Benson."

"No." Jackie shook her head. "There's no need to get him." But it was too late, Carla had already left to retrieve the psychiatrist. While they waited, the group remained silent in their own thoughts. Kelso stared at his shoes, embarrassed and guilty, Fez kept looking back and forth between Hyde and Donna, who were standing on either side of Jackie, both holding her hands. Jackie felt comforted by the gesture, and was staring to feel better when Dr. Benson walked in.

"May I speak to the patient privately please?" He asked.

Hyde looked down at Jackie. "You sure?"

Jackie nodded. "I'm sure."

He and the others nodded their consent to the doctor and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them as they walked out. When they were alone, Dr. Benson sat in Hyde's chair.

"Steven really doesn't like it when people sit in his chair." Jackie told him.

"Is it because it's uncomfortable, no wonder he's so cranky." The doctor joked. "So, want to tell me what happened?" It wasn't a suggestion.

"Michael asked me what it was like being dead."

"So?" The doctor inquired, "I ask you that all the time."

"No." Jackie said, "It wasn't like how you ask it. When you ask me about being dead, you're asking about my feelings regarding my recovery. He was asking what it's literally like being dead."

"Oh." Dr. Benson nodded thoughtfully. "So what happened then?"

"I guess the question freaked me out a little." Jackie admitted. There was no way she was going to tell him what she had felt though. It was merely her imagination playing tricks on her. She wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize her chances of leaving the hospital.

"Well, death is a traumatic experience." The doctor said thoughtfully.

"But that's just it." Jackie said, "How can something be traumatic if I don't even remember it?" It was technically true after all. She remembered falling into the creek; she remembered dreaming about being in a fairytale. She even remembered being poisoned and waking up in the Prince's arms. She even remembered the sight of Hyde's eyes when she woke up, but she couldn't actually remember being dead.

So why did it freak her out so much?

Soon after her inner revelation, Dr. Benson left, leaving Jackie with orders to get rest. When the gang came in to tell Jackie goodnight, she knew that he must have given them orders to let Jackie rest. Hyde raised his eyebrow, silently asking her if she wanted him to stay or go. She moved over on the bed to make room for him in response.

"Look, Jackie…" Kelso started.

"Michael, it's fine. I forgive you." Jackie interjected. "I love you all." She waved to the group.

"We love you too." They told her in unison.

When they were alone, Hyde walked over to the wall to turn off the light.

"Steven?" Jackie asked in the dark.

"Yeah Jackie?"

"What happened when I died?"

* * *

If you're wondering if you should leave a review, just do what I do and ask what would Jackie do?

Jackie would leave a review.


	3. Purgatory

I don't own anything in this story, I'm just using them.

Please review.

There is a lot of cursing in this chapter, and it marks the return of someone very special to my heart.

* * *

Chapter Three: Purgatory.

"_What happened when I died?" _

Hyde blinked as he was forced back to the present. Turning his head towards the others in the car, he realized that they had stopped and that he was alone. Quickly, he got out to find Eric was on the payphone with Kelso and Fez standing next to him. Hyde looked through the window of the gas station and saw Jackie and Donna walking through the aisles, both wearing baseball caps and sunglasses.

He wished he knew where they were. As the girls walked out the store carrying bags of snacks and beverages, the guys walked towards them.

"Well, I just talked to Leo." Eric told them.

"And?" Jackie questioned.

"He said good luck." Eric said. "And that he'll watch after Grooves."

"Maybe I should call Randy and ask him to look after it." Donna pondered.

"We agreed we wouldn't call anyone from Point Place." Eric reminded her. "I know we all want to call people, God knows I want to call my folks, but we can't."

Hyde shook his head, why the hell was everyone being so vague? Why couldn't they just say what was going on and talk like normal people? Frustrated, Hyde turned from the group and walked off into the distance to get his head together. How was he supposed to know what happened to him if they just continued to act like he never existed?

What if he had never existed? What if for some reason, they all forgot about him? What was he going to do then? Just live out the rest of his life as a specter, following his friends around while they carried on life without him? What if Jackie decided to start dating other guys? Worse, what if the ring she was wearing wasn't the mate to his?

He had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he never heard the engine turn on. It was the sound of screeching tires as the Vista Cruiser made its way out of the parking lot that caught Hyde's attention. He could only watch as they drove down the vacant street and into the sun.

Hyde closed his eyes as the hot sun glared down at him. He wished he still had his trademark shades, at least to block out the sun's rays.

"_What happened to your sunglasses?" Jackie asked as she stroked the stubble on his face. _

"_Uh, Donna threw them at a tree." Hyde answered. _

"_Really?" Jackie gushed. "Well, we'll just have to get you a new pair." _

Hyde winced at the memory. She had so understanding of him and how had he repaid her? He was invisible and or worse, stranded in the middle of no where, with no direction to lead him home, and no way of ever catching up with the others.

He knew objectively that he had no one to be mad at but himself. Why had he turned his back on the group? They had no idea he was with them, and yet, he couldn't help but resent them for leaving him behind. It was almost as though he didn't exist to them at all.

Suddenly, Hyde felt a chill in the air that wasn't there before. Not knowing what else to do, Hyde started walking in the direction the Vista Cruiser went. If it was as he feared, and he was, in fact, dead, then the afterlife sucked. Perhaps he was in purgatory, forced to walk an empty highway across a deserted wasteland for the rest of eternity. He wondered what would happen if he actually made his way back to Jackie and the rest of his friends. Would he be sent back to the beginning, forced to keep walking the same road over and over again?

"Shit." Hyde said as he kicked a rock. He left the road and started walking down the hill to look at the ravine below. There was no fence blocking the edge, making it easy for someone to fall off, not that it mattered to Hyde, given that he was no longer alive and therefore, unable to feel pain.

Hyde looked out at the vast landscape in front of him, suddenly engrossed in the emptiness that surrounded him like water surrounds an island. He ran his hands through his hair and wished he had a cigarette.

"You don't want to smoke here anyway."

The familiar voice of his friend made him turn around. At the side of the road, Eric Forman stood in the flesh.

"Forman?" Hyde asked, rushing back up the hill towards his friend.

"Ugh." He said, "I'm not Eric, I just happened to get a body that looks remarkably like your friend. He really is quite scrawny."

On closer inspection, he realized that the man was right. While the facial features were exactly the same, this man's hair was darker and cut much shorter. He also looked like he could handle himself in fight, something the real Forman could never do, foot ball games not withstanding.

"Uh, okay." Hyde said slowly. "Then uh, who are you?"

"I'm your guide, although I have to tell you, I'm a little surprised to be seeing you so soon, after all, it was just a few months ago that I saw your girlfriend."

"Jackie?" Hyde asked, "You know Jackie?"

"I do." The man said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "She's your wife now if I'm correct. Oh, and she's carrying your child, man, you must really hate yourself right now."

Hyde narrowed his eyes at the guide. "Uh, not really, although I am kind of wondering what happened."

"Ah, loss of memory, that's to be expected. Don't worry; it'll come back soon enough. Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?"

Hyde closed his eyes and tried to focus on his memories.

"Jackie asked me what happened when I died."

"Then what?"

"Then, I… the next thing I know, it's three months in the future and no one can see me and I'm watching my friends cut their hands and perform so sadistic blood ritual and they're setting fire to Jackie's house and we're married! I don't remember getting married, I don't remember getting Jackie pregnant, I don't remember anything except finding out that I'm dead and I'm in some stupid afterlife with some guy who looks like my best friend but isn't, because he's in a car right now, driving to fuck knows where!"

Not! Eric just blinked. "You're not dead."

"I'm not?" Hyde asked in surprise.

"No." Not! Eric replied as he shook his head. "This is much worse, but don't worry, if Jackie can get through it, so can you."

"Who are you?" Hyde asked.

"I told you, I'm your guide, Jackie never asked this many questions."

"I'm not Jackie."

Not! Eric grinned. "That's for sure; for one thing, she's much better on the eyes than you are."

Hyde glared at the guide. "You better have kept your hands off my chick."

"Or what?" Not! Eric laughed for a moment before straightening himself and looking Hyde square in the eye.

"We're going to get one thing straight here, if you knew who I really was, what I really am, you wouldn't be saying those stupid things, so I'm going to ignore that comment and I'm going to tell you this once and once only. I'm not Eric, so don't think you can bully me into getting what you want. I'm here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to help you figure out what happened to you so that you can fix it, got it?"

Hyde actually took a step back after Not! Eric finished his speech. He was never one to feel intimidated by anyone, sans Red Forman, but the guy in front of him could give Red a run for his money.

"Uh, so what do I call you?" Hyde asked, now more curious about this so called guide more than ever. What did he mean by if he really knew who he was? Who the hell was he?

The guide shifted his gaze and relaxed his posture to a more non threatening stance.

"Call me Virgil."

"As in Dante's Virgil?" Hyde questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, you're right, that's awfully cliché isn't it? Uh, well, you think of something."

"Think of something? You're telling me you can't tell me your name?"

"Nope." The guide shrugged. "Jackie called me Not! Eric if that helps."

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that." Hyde said. "I'll call you V."

The newly named V nodded his consent. "V it is."

"You wouldn't by any chance actually be the real Virgil would you?" Hyde asked as the two started walking down the highway.

"I wish." V laughed. "Though I don't envy the work he has to do."

"Right." Hyde said unsurely. "Uh, so I gotta ask, if I'm not dead…"

The guide ignored him. "Why'd you choose an abandoned gas station?"

"What do you mean? I didn't choose to be left at a gas station, and it wasn't abandoned." Hyde argued.

"Look." V said pointing back toward the gas station. Now it looked as though no one had been there in years.

"What the fuck?" Hyde yelled. "It wasn't like that twenty minutes ago! My friend's just left me!"

V stared at Hyde for a moment before he grabbed his shoulders and the next thing Hyde knew, they were back at the gas station. Hyde quickly glanced inside to see the shelves were all empty, and no one was standing behind the counter. On the door were cardboard boxes with the word closed written on them in red ink.

"Tell me the last thing you remember, exactly." V demanded.

"Uh, I told you, Jackie asked what happened when she died!"

"Not that!" V yelled in his face. "Here!"

"Uh, they were all talking and I got mad for not saying where they were going, and so I walked away to get my head clear, and when I turned around, they were gone."

"You saw them leave?" V asked.

"Yeah."

"Motherfucking Christ." V cursed. They both pointedly ignored the lightning in the distance. "And then what?"

"Uh, I started walking."

"What direction?"

"West, and then I stopped and left the highway and that's where you found me."

V slowly took a deep breath and calmed down. "You must have stepped into a time portal by accident."

"Which means what?" Hyde asked fearfully.

V cocked his head and grinned. "It means that you managed to send yourself into the future. The good news is I can help, the bad news is it won't make finding Jackie any less difficult, although that's the last thing you need to worry about now."

"What do you mean I shouldn't worry about Jackie?" Hyde growled. "She's my wife; I need to be with her."

"Ah, that's so romantic." V said sarcastically. "I still think she was better off with the Prince."

"The who?"

"Forget it." V ordered. "You need to get your memory back and find out what happened to you before you can go running off to be with Jackie, and besides, you being with her right now will only put her in more danger."

"Danger, what danger?" Hyde asked.

"Again, memory, get it back."

"I've tried!" Hyde yelled.

"Try harder!" V yelled back. "What do gas stations mean to you?"

"Uh, I've got a lot of relatives who work at gas stations, the ones who aren't in prison anyway."

"That's it? Nothing else? Come on think, you must have chosen this place for a reason, gas station, empty highway with nothing around?"

"Sorry, this is the first time I've ever been here." Hyde shrugged.

"Great." V mumbled. "Take my hand." He ordered as he struck his hand out towards Hyde.

"Uh…" Hyde said hesitantly.

"As much as your homophobia amuses me, take my fucking hand."

Hyde quickly took the guide's hand and swallowed nervously. "So where…"

He never got to finish his sentence, as the next thing he knew, he was being catapulted back to the moment Jackie and Donna were walking out of the gas station.

"So do I go with them this time?" Hyde asked walking towards the car.

"No." V said pulling Hyde back. "You're going to let them leave; I told you that you can't be with them right now."

"But…"

"No buts." V ordered. "Just watch."

Hyde did as he was told, and watched the gang split up and walk back to the Vista Cruiser. He saw Jackie pull Donna aside and he went to eavesdrop on them.

"I don't feel safe around here." Jackie confided to her friend.

Donna nodded. "I don't either, I still feel like we're too close to Point Place."

"Let's get in the car." Jackie said. "And tell Eric to keep driving."

Hyde watched as the girls got back into the car, Donna sat in the front seat with Eric, while Jackie sat in between Fez and Kelso.

"How am I supposed to just watch her leave?" Hyde asked V. "How am I supposed to know she's going to be safe?"

"Don't worry." V told him. "She's safe as long as she's with them, and they're not going to let her out of their sights."

"Swear your life on that."

"If I had a life to give, I would." V told him sincerely. "You might want to say goodbye for now."

Hyde turned back to the car. "Bye Jackie, uh, everyone. I'll see you around I guess."

V nodded and the two watched the Vista Cruiser leave the parking lot once again.

"What now?" Hyde asked his all too familiar companion.

"That's up to you, what do you want to do? And don't say go be with Jackie, that's not an option."

"Just tell me where they're going at least." Hyde pleaded.

V closed his eyes. "I don't know." He admitted.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Hyde demanded. "I thought you guys knew everything!"

"Okay first off, what do you think I am exactly; secondly, I don't know because whatever ritual thing they did is making it impossible for me to keep track of them. Every time I try to find them, it gets all distorted, which is why she's safe as long as she's with them. If I knew where they were going, I still wouldn't tell you though, because it's not safe for you or for them."

"What do you mean it's not safe?" Hyde asked. "I thought we were alone."

"Shit, okay, the faster we get your memory back the better. Otherwise, I'm going to have to keep explaining things that you really should already know."

Hyde sighed. "Fine, um, to answer your question, I guess I want to go back to Point Place. That's where all this started right?"

V nodded. "Fine, but first, we need to make sure you understand some things. First, you stay with me, second, don't go trying to be some hero, because you're not one and you'll only get you and or Jackie killed, third, talk to no one except me, got it?"

"I got it, but uh, who am I going to being talking to?"

V sighed. "You said the last thing you remember is Jackie asking you what happened when you died right?"

"Uh, yeah." Hyde replied.

V turned for a minute and closed his eyes, as though he was debating as to what he was going to tell Hyde.

"The moment Jackie died, what did you do?" V inquired.

"I didn't do anything."

"You didn't beg, plead, and ask for her back? You didn't say you'd do anything for one more chance with her, nothing of that nature?"

Hyde shook his head, confused. "No, I heard the doctors call out the time of death and then I started to leave, and then Red Forman ordered the doctors to try again, and then the next thing I know, she was alive." He looked at V skeptically, remembering that he had told him he was Jackie's guide. "Where were you when it happened?"

V knew what Hyde was really asking.

"I'm not going to explain myself to someone like you." V said with an air of distain. "If it wasn't for you, none of this would have happened in the first place."

"How the hell was any of this my fault?" Hyde questioned. "Is it because I didn't help Jackie when she fell in the creek, because…"

"No." V interrupted. "It was the moment you told the whore from Las Vegas to stay. You might as well have signed a pact with the devil right then and there, oh wait, you did!"

"What?" Hyde asked confused. "I made a mistake, but I got her to leave right? I got Jackie back, things are… or were, good."

"Do you really think that's enough?" V asked seriously. "So you said some nice words and gave her a couple kisses, you still told Samantha to stay; you still broke Jackie's heart. I got her to forgive you, but that's only half the battle."

"Fine, I get it, I fucked up, but what do you mean I signed a pact with the devil?"

V sighed and clinched his fists. "When you said Sam could stay, you chose what you considered to be the path of least resistance, but in reality, what you did was sign your life away."

"So Sam was the devil?" Hyde asked confused.

"Please, you think the devil would give herself that pig nose?" V scoffed. Hyde resisted the urge to make a joke about the devil being a woman.

"The point is, without realizing it; you gave up your soul, which if you think about it, explains a lot right?"

Hyde nodded as he remembered what he told Eric. "I felt empty, but then Jackie woke up and said she forgave me, and I felt whole again."

"Because she rescued your dumb ass." V told him. "Someday you're going to have to get her to tell you what happened, it's a great story."

"I'm sure it is." Hyde allowed, "But in order for that to happen, I have to get my body back."

"Not an outer body experience." V said dismissively.

"I took a guess." Hyde said with a shrug. "So, I got my soul back right? So why is everything still fucked up?"

V raised an eyebrow; the look was eerily familiar to the look Jackie would give him.

"Because," V spoke as though he was talking to a very small child, "Without your soul, you were content to just let things happen without any regard to how they would affect the greater good. You were content to watch your friends suffer at the fate you caused them."

"I don't get it." Hyde admitted, "How was I supposed to know that staying with Sam would do this?"

V shook his head, exasperated. "Whatever you do, affects others. Your choice to stay with Sam caused a downward spiral that unbeknownst to you, is still on going, regardless of what you might think, hence, your current position The good news is that like I mentioned early, Jackie rescued you."

"You mean if Jackie hadn't fallen into the creek none of this would have happened?"

"That's right, it'd be much, much worse."

"How much worse?" Hyde was scared to ask, but did anyway.

"Well, for one thing, you'd still be sporting that awful mustache, and Donna… don't even get me started on her. But worst of all, Jackie would have ended up with someone else." V cringed.

"Who, don't say Kelso."

"No, not him, but close."

"Forman?" It was preposterous but stranger things were known to happen.

"Try again."

Hyde stared blankly at V as the answer came to him. "No fucking way, there's no way. No, no, no. That's just… fucking no."

"Congratulations, your drunkenness actually saved Jackie a life of being touched by Fez." V patted Hyde on the back.

"Okay, I gotta ask, what would have happened if I had told Sam to leave?"

V smiled wirily. "There are endless possibilities to that, which I think is what makes life so interesting, but I can tell you this, you would have been happy and probably alive."

"Uh, that's comforting." Hyde remarked. "So how do I fix it, I mean, when we go back to Point Place?"

"That comes later." V told him. "Right now, we still have work to do here, starting with your memory, what does this place mean to you?"

Hyde looked around at the vacant landscape. "I'm telling you, I've never been here before."

"Doesn't matter." V told him. "There has to be some meaning behind this, otherwise you wouldn't have come here."

"But I didn't!" Hyde shouted. "I was with my friends; they're the ones who left me here."

"Please, you're smarter than that. You knew that you should have stayed in the car, but you didn't. You let yourself be left behind here, and what I need to know is why?"

Hyde closed his eyes again. The place had no special meaning to him, but how was he supposed to tell the guide that again?

"Is this a dream?" Hyde asked. "Cause you said you were with Jackie, but I know Jackie was really in hospital bed, so what'd I do? Hit my head on a counter?"

V shrugged. "I suppose you could say this is a dream, however, that would be wrong, and besides, you and Jackie were two different cases."

"So I'm not in the hospital somewhere?"

"Nope."

"That means…"

"Yep."

"So this really is all happening?"

"Uh huh."

Hyde felt like punching someone. All of his hope was no gone, replaced by a more familiar emotion, dread. He walked over to the edge of the ravine and sat down into the abyss. Soon after, V sat next to him.

"Look," V said after a moment, "There are forces at work here that are much bigger than you could possibly comprehend, and somehow you managed to get yourself right in the middle of it. No, let me amend that last thing, you managed to get Jackie in the middle of it. Now her and all your friends are running for their lives. For your baby's life."

Hyde closed his eyes. V's words had a certain déjà vu to them. Hyde could remember the emotions, but he still had no way of remembering the details.

"How do I get my memory back?" Hyde asked.

The guide stood up and Hyde reached for his hand to pull himself up.

"We start walking." The guide told him. "High ho, high ho, it's off to Point Place we go." He said tunelessly as the two started walking down the long, abandoned highway. The sun was setting, making the horizon seem that much farther. He wondered where the gang was, if they were safe, and how long it would take him to find his way back to her.

"You know, my mother used to always threaten to leave me at gas stations, said I was too much of a burden for her." Hyde said conversationally as they walked the darkened street.

"So, alone in a gas station with no where to go." V commented. "And you said this place means nothing to you."

Hyde shrugged. "So what, I haven't thought about it in years."

"Doesn't matter, you still ended up here. It's interesting that you ended up somewhere alone. Says a lot about you don't you think?"

"Like what exactly?" Hyde asked warily.

"You've convinced yourself that you're going to end up alone, which is why you push everything you love away. It's almost like you actually had a sign on your back that said come! Buy this soul for a ridiculously low price! Seriously, what did you get for it? Talent, prestige, better stamina in the bedroom, nope, you got nothing. They got your soul, and you got zilch."

"Wait a minute." Hyde said as he stopped in the middle of the road. "I don't even believe in this soul crap, and I definitely don't believe in heaven and hell."

"I don't give a crap about what you believe." V announced. "I supposed to be back home, eating crappy onion soup with my friend, but no, I have to be here with you. It doesn't matter if you believe in this or not, it's real so get used to it."

Hyde couldn't think of a proper response to V's insults, so he glared at the man, hoping he'd shut up. Finally, V stopped walking and pulled Hyde to the side.

"Look, this isn't the way we typically do things, but usually people remember what brought them here far sooner than this, and given that if I have to look at this crappy scenery anymore, I'm going to shoot myself, I'm going to break the rules just this once."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hyde admitted, confused and bewildered at V's rant.

V grabbed Hyde's arm. "The past you cretin, we're going to the past!"

"To change things?" Hyde asked hopefully.

"What exactly?" V asked. "You don't even know what you did!"

"Yeah, but…"

"No buts, this is strictly no touching."

Hyde wasn't so sure about the prospect of going back in time to watch himself make the same mistakes,(even if he couldn't really remember what they were) but he didn't have time to voice his concerns, as the next thing he knew, he was standing in the hospital, watching Jackie and his past self lie on the bed.

"What happened when I died?"

The present day Hyde closed his eyes. And so it began.

* * *

Why yes, this is very Dickensian, except I think Not! Eric is far more likely to kick Hyde's ass than Scrooge's ghost of Christmas Past ever was.

I hope no one was confused by Not! Eric's name change. For those wondering about the Gnome, I said in Into the Woods that you'd see him again, and you will!

For those wondering what the hell is going on with Jackie and the gang while they're on the road that will be covered in Act II. ACT I is purely the events that lead to chapter one.

I've got a lot of work to do for school, so I don't know when my next update will be. I'll try for next week but I'm not making any promises.


	4. The Devil you know

First, I just want to say thank you so much for all your reviews! Right now we're just laying the ground work for the story to come, and I know it's a little overwhelming, but just wait! You'll love where this is going.

This chapter went through so many rewrites that its' not even funny. It was probably the hardest chapter to write so please review and tell me what you think.

I own nothing in this story, including That 70's show and its characters and all the vague and not so vague references I make to Alighieri, Blake and Milton, As well as Greek mythology and whatever else that might make its way in this work of fiction.

* * *

The Devil you know...

"This isn't rock and roll, this is genocide."

David Bowie, Diamond Dogs.

Hyde and V watched unseen as Jackie asked Hyde's past self be asked the question that had been haunting him for what now seemed like days. He waited on baited breath for his past self to answer. He subconsciously rubbed his wedding ring as a reminder to himself that no matter what happened here, he still had her. And then before he could hear his response, the room became dark and everything, including Jackie, his old self and V had disappeared. Darkness surrounded him. He could hear voices talking around him, talking all at once.

"V?" He shouted. "What's going on here?" The blackness seemed to envelope him, making it hard to breath. Finally, a hand seemed to come out of no where and grabbed Hyde by the shoulder.

He was now back on the deserted highway. V was still gone and Hyde found himself suddenly thirsty. He started to walk back to the gas station for something to drink when V showed up, grabbing Hyde's hand.

"What the hell was that?" Hyde yelled.

"The collective decided that you can't see the past." V said nonchalantly.

"The who?"

"The collective." V answered. "Never mind who they are, point is, they don't want you to go back, I tried to explain to them about your uh, circumstances, but they said I can't break the rules for you, so uh, here we are."

"So uh, no crazy time travel?" Hyde asked. He had to admit he felt relieved.

"Nope." V replied. "Instead, you get to walk this desolate wasteland that is your psyche and hope that you remember something soon."

"I remember what I was going to say." Hyde said hopefully.

"Back in the hospital room?" V asked.

"Yeah." Hyde cringed.

* * *

**About Three Months Ago. **

"Red started yelling at the doctors and the nurses to bring you back, and everyone else was crying." Hyde's past self sounded as uncomfortable as he felt.

"What about you?" Jackie asked softly.

"I… I was leaving."

Jackie turned to him. "What do you mean you were leaving?"

"I thought you were dead, I didn't see the point in staying around."

"So I was dead, so that was it? Well she's dead, might as well go home, is that it?" Jackie asked threateningly.

"No, it wasn't like that at all." The past Hyde stated, but Jackie wasn't buying it. She was now sitting up on the bed with her arms crossed, her gaze narrowed.

"Then what was it like, Steven?" Jackie asked. "Tell me."

Hyde shrugged and the all too familiar words poured out his mouth uncontrollably.

"I don't know."

"Get out." Jackie demanded, pointing to the door.

"Jackie, don't you think you're being a little overdramatic?" Hyde asked as Jackie pushed him off the bed.

"Get out!" Jackie yelled again. This time, Hyde didn't argue as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

**The Present… **

V looked over at Hyde incredulously after Hyde was done telling him what he remembered. "That's the best you could come up with?"

Hyde shook his head. "Yeah, I really want to kick my own ass right now."

V stared at Hyde for a moment. "Well, you did tell her that you wouldn't be the guy who said the right thing at the right time."

Hearing his own words thrown back into his face made the whole thing even worse. He knew he had said the wrong thing back there, but he couldn't help but feel a tad bit resentful. Jackie knew Hyde was bad at expressing himself.

"I'm still not sure why Jackie flipped out at me."

"Yeah, women." V muttered sarcastically.

"I mean it though, I know what I said was dumb, but you'd think she'd be just a little more understanding."

V stared at Hyde incredulously. "I swear I'm this close to leaving your ass here to rot. She spent the day getting mentally poked and prodded by a guy who keeps reminding her of her death, which for anyone else would be annoying, but for Jackie…the point is, there are things that are occurring in Jackie's world right now that, pardon the expression, suck major ass, and all she wanted was for you to tell her that you were scared when you thought she was dead."

"So what, she thinks I wasn't?"

V threw his arms in the air. "That's it, I'm leaving. Find your own way back." He started to walk away.

"No, wait." Hyde called after him. V paused but didn't turn around.

"I really didn't mean that." Hyde continued, "And I get it, I should have said something else here, but obviously I made up for it somehow, and that's what's important right?"

"You're an idiot." Was all V could say.

Hyde knew it was true. He had no right to put any of this on Jackie. "How bad is it?" He finally asked.

"Jackie's lucky she has someone who's looking after her."

"Me?"

"You? Hell no, I'm talking about Donna. What are you doing right now? Oh right, you're here, with me. Good job on that."

"Were you this sarcastic with Jackie?" Hyde asked. More now than ever, he wanted to know what Jackie had gone through in her 'dream'.

"Jackie was easier to deal with." V replied flippantly.

"Now that I don't believe." Hyde said skeptically. "I bet Jackie was even more freaked out than I am."

"Actually, she was quiet calm about the whole thing, well, for the most part."

"What do you mean, for the most part?" Hyde asked. He was now even thirstier than before. "Damn, I could really drink some water."

V handed him a canteen filled with water. "Drink that."

Hyde took a sip of the cool water and handed the canteen back to V. "What do you mean, for the most part?" He asked again.

"I can't tell you about that." V told him. "But you'll experience it soon enough, you always do."

Hyde knew that when V said you, he wasn't just talking about Hyde. V even walked like Forman for crap's sake, and seeing him look at him with such distain wasn't making things any easier.

"You really hate me don't you?"

V shook his head. "I don't hate you, it's not who I am."

"And who, exactly are you?" Hyde questioned.

V shrugged. "I could ask you the very same question. Do you even know who you are anymore? Think about it, you have no memory of the last three months, you're invisible to your friends, and you're here, with me… again, I implore you to tell me who you are?"

Hyde took a deep breath. "Uh, I'm Steven Hyde."

"That's your name yes, but who are you?"

"Steven Hyde."

"Who are you?"

"Hyde."

"I didn't ask you your stupid name, I asked who you are!" V shouted in Hyde's face.

"Well I don't know what you want me to say!" Hyde shouted back.

"Tell me who the fuck you are!"

Hyde shook his head and stepped back. He felt like he was Alice and he was arguing with the caterpillar.

"You know this." V said softly. "Come on."

Something inside Hyde felt like it was about to break. He no longer wanted to be stuck in this world where there was no one except an arrogant jerk who treated him like crap. If he wanted that, he'd just go find Edna or Bud. All he wanted to do was go home and be with Jackie.

Jackie. Her face popped into his head, smiling at him like he was the greatest thing in the world, but he knew she was wrong. He wasn't great. He was a screw up, just like Edna had predicted.

Hyde ran over to the side of the road and threw up in the grass. After he was done, he looked up at V who, for the first time since he had met him, was smiling sincerely.

V walked over and extended his hand out to Hyde.

"Come on." V said to him. "We've still got a long way to go."

Hyde took his hand and let himself be pulled up.

"But what about what you asked me?"

V smiled. "It's okay, there's still plenty of time to figure that out. You'll see."

* * *

They walked down the highway, the gas station was no longer in view and the sun was coming up from beyond the horizon. Soon enough, Hyde began to talk. He told V about his childhood, about growing up with Edna and Bud, about all the times Bud ran out on them, about the time's Edna ran out, of when he almost left with the punk girl Chrissy, about the Formans and how they were there for him when no one else was. He told them about his friends, Eric, Donna, Kelso and Fez. Finally, he told V about Jackie. Hyde knew that V knew everything already, especially the part about Jackie, but it felt good to talk about it anyway. After years of being closed off to everyone, talking about his life was almost cathartic. 

"She's the one who got me to meet my real dad you know."

V grinned. "Let me guess, she nagged you until you did it."

"And when I said okay, she shut the hell up."

They both laughed. "So tell me about what happened with her." Hyde requested.

To Hyde's shock and dismay, that's exactly what V started to do. At first, Hyde could barely believe it, but then he remembered where he was, and knew he had no right to judge. It made total sense that Jackie was a princess, lost and trying to find her way through the big black woods. Hyde listened to the story intently, only interrupting to ask a question here and there.

"You said she rescued my soul right?"

V nodded. "Yeah, she was supposed to just remember, decide to live or die and then that would be it, but not Jackie, once she learned that her precious prince was in trouble; that was it. Nothing I said would convince her to just go home."

"And she really told Cinderella to fuck off?"

"Not in so many words, but yeah." V replied, laughing proudly. "She's a real spitfire."

Hyde stopped walking. He stared at the back of V's head as V continued to walk before V finally stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" V asked as he turned around.

"You're in love with her." Hyde accused. It wasn't the first time Hyde had made the accusation, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

V looked at him sharply. "You really don't get it do you? Do you know how many girls just like Jackie I've had to guide? They come and they go and that's it. I do my job and they choose whether they want to live or die and I'm not a part of it except to make sure they know their choices, but her… she changed everything."

Hyde couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, she does that."

"So maybe I am in love with her, but not in the way you're thinking."

"But you don't want her with me, is that it?"

V shook his head and gave Hyde a look that told him he was being an idiot. "No, I do, because you're what makes her happy. You're the one she chose. So remember that the next time."

Hyde suddenly felt very foolish. "Sorry."

The two began walking again. "So um, why was Jackie's dream or whatever it was you know, different?"

"You mean less boring?" V asked.

"I guess."

V shrugged. "I told you, the person chooses where they go. I mean, it's all the same place of course, but we rarely tell you that. We certainly didn't tell Jackie."

"So she has no idea she was really in hell?"

V made a face of disgust. "You think this is hell? No, Hell is… no, you'd know hell if you were there, trust me."

"Ah, I just always figured Hell would be a lousy place with nothing to do." Hyde joked.

V smiled but then shook his head. "Purgatory, the place in between, for those who are still… see, all around you are other souls who are trying to find their way, and just like you, they're being guided by people like me. You can't see or hear them and they can't see or hear you, but they're there. Some will live, some will die, and yes, some might go to hell, where they will spend the rest of their existence living a life of boring monotony and florescent lighting."

"But I thought you said I wasn't dead or in a coma."

"You're not." V answered. "Congratulations, you're the first actual living, breathing, flesh and bone body that has ever come here. We're thinking about making you a cake."

Hyde crossed his arms. "What does that mean?"

"You'll get your own holiday." V said. "It means we need to get you home as soon as possible." "But don't worry, as long as you don't eat any pomegranates, you'll be okay."

Hyde stared blankly at V's joke.

"Pomegranate? Persephone and Hades? Oh for the love of God, read a book sometime, because that was freaking funny."

Hyde closed his eyes, ignoring V's remark about Hyde's lack of a sense of humor. He knew the only way to get home was to remember, but the memories were still eluding him.

"Don't try to remember everything all at once." V suggested. "Do you still remember that day Jackie and the rest of them left?"

"Yeah." Hyde answered. "Uh, I had been working that day."

The memory came to him in a sudden rush, hitting him like a tidal wave after a storm and hurting him just as much. He fell to his knees with his head in his hands as he did his best not to scream.

"I guess I should have warned you about that." V shrugged indifferently.

Hyde looked up at V with one eye. "You mean that's going to happen every time I remember something?" He felt like someone had just whacked him on the back of the head with a hammer.

"What was it?" V asked.

"Uh, um, it was um, this guy."

"That's helpful."

"He was wearing a grey suit, and he was in the record store."

"Tell me about him."

* * *

**A little over three months ago. **

The record store was quiet at two pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Hyde sat on his stool by the cash register reading the latest Rolling Stone Magazine, Leo was on his usual spot on the couch. He knew that in an hour, Donna and Fez would show up and the three would go visit Jackie at the hospital, leaving Leo and the new employee, Cara, in charge for the rest of the day.

And then the man in the grey suit walked in. He looked out of place in a record store, let alone one owned by Hyde. Something about him made Hyde on edge, but he ignored it, thinking it was just his hatred of "the man."

"Can I help you?" Hyde asked.

The man in the grey suit cocked an all white smile at Hyde and ran his hand through his thick blonde hair. "I am, I'm looking for Sympathy for the Devil."

Hyde nodded. Even though the man was far too dressed up for Hyde's own tastes, he had to admit the man knew good music.

"It's in the rock section." Hyde pointed to the direction of the Rolling Stones. "Beggars Banquet."

"Thanks." The man smiled at Hyde and walked over to where Hyde was pointing. Hyde nodded and turned back to his magazine.

"Do you have any Tommy Johnson?" The man asked, making Hyde look back up from his magazine.

Hyde shook his head. "If we did, it'd be in the blues section."

"They say he sold his soul to the devil." The man spoke softly, almost in a caress.

"Yeah, the things we do for fame." Hyde chuckled.

"You look like a man who would strike a deal with the devil for the right price."

Hyde tried to hide his nervousness. "Well, I don't think I'd sell my soul for the ability to play the guitar." He joked.

The man quirked his lip up. "No, I don't think you would either."

Hyde raised his eyebrow. "So, about that record."

"Keep it." The silver haired man replied with a slight hiss. "I much prefer Paganini."

* * *

**The present, whatever that means. **

"That was only the first time he came around… so uh, he's important right?"

V gave a slight nod. "Yeah."

"Shit, so um, I guess I need to remember more right?"

V grinned. "Just keep walking, maybe if we're lucky we'll come across a dragon you can slay."

"You've slain a dragon before?" Hyde asked incredulously.

"Pfft." V shrugged. "Who hasn't?"

Hyde shrugged. He really didn't want to know the answer to that question.

"It is rather ironic that he'd ask you if you'd sell your soul." V said after awhile. "You know, given that you had."

"Yeah about that, I'm like, whole again right?"

V tried not to laugh but failed. "You're invisible to everyone but me, and you're asking if you're whole? Yes, yes, you're totally and completely whole."

"A no would have sufficed." Hyde argued. He ran up to V and two started walking down the highway again.

"So uh, what's up with pomegranates?"

V patted Hyde on the back. "Well, once upon a time, there was this beautiful maiden who happened to be the daughter of the goddess Demeter…"

* * *

This will be the last chapter for awhile that deals with Hyde being in Purgatory. The next chapter will be going back in the past and will be Donna centric, and very important. The more reviews I get, the faster it'll be put up. 


	5. So I Put My Arms Around You

There is good news and bad news, the good news is I'm posting another chapter! The bad is that this will probably be the last chapter until sometime after the new year. I'm going with my boyfriend to spend time with his family in California for two weeks, and then I'm going to D.C to get my history geek on. In other words, I'm going to D.C to drink. Yay me!

Thank you all for your reviews. I love reading your theories! A lot of you have said you're confused still, but remember that this story is going to be long. Act I will be at least ten chapters long if not more. Most questions that were brought up in chapter one will be answered by the end of Act I. So remember, we've only just begun.

This is by far, my favorite thing I've ever written, and I'm so excited it, mostly because I know where it's going. Into the Woods was written so I could write this story. I'm writing parts of act I and II simultaneously and I think it's some of my best writing.

I don't own anything that may or may not be in this story except for the idea, and even that can be debated.

* * *

**So I Put My Arms Around You. **

Donna sat down with her trey of gross cafeteria food at their usual table in the hospital cafeteria. It was surreal that they actually had a usual table. For weeks now, Donna felt as though she spent more time there than she did her actual home or the radio station. She sat down across from Fez who was already eating.

"Donna." He said with a mouth full of food.

"It's okay to swallow before you say hello." Donna told him.

Fez chewed the rest of his food, swallowed and then smiled guiltily. "You'll never guess what I heard."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Fez, I'm not going to gossip with you, go find Jackie if you want to do that."

Fez smiled conspiratorially. "But it's about Jackie." He whispered.

Suddenly, Donna wasn't hungry anymore.

"Apparently her and Hyde got into a fight." Fez told her. "A big one."

Donna shook her head. She should have known that sooner or later, Hyde would have done something stupid and piss Jackie off. She might have taken him back, but the two of them still had a lot of work to do in repairing their relationship. She was about to ask what Hyde did when the man himself walked into cafeteria.

"He's here." Donna informed Fez who turned his head to look. He turned back and smiled sheepishly.

"Eeek."

Donna watched as Hyde got his food and came over to the table. He plopped down next to Fez and scowled at Donna.

"So, I guess you know."

As a matter of fact, Donna didn't know. She hadn't seen Jackie yet that day, and Fez was obviously not able to tell her. She felt strangely out of the loop.

"Actually, no, I only just heard that you two had a fight, what was it about?"

Hyde scowled at his burger. "The cheese isn't even melted, fuckers."

"Hyde?" Fez asked carefully. "You can tell us, we're your friends."

Hyde glared at Fez and then sighed. "I might have said something dumb last night."

"How dumb?" Donna asked.

"Uh, the kind of dumb that got me kicked out of Jackie's room last night."

"That's pretty dumb." Fez commented.

Hyde nodded. "She uh, asked what happened when she died."

Donna knew better than to hope that this story wasn't going to end badly. With a wince, she asked, "And what did you tell her?"

"The truth."

Fez gasped at Hyde's response and Donna simply shook her head. "Oh no."

"What?" Hyde asked defensively. "She asked!"

"Oh Hyde," Fez stated, "Even Kelso could have come up with a better answer than that!"

Donna nodded in agreement. "He's right; you actually told Jackie that you were going to leave?"

"I thought she was dead!" Hyde exclaimed.

Both Donna and Fez winced. "Please tell me you didn't tell her that." Fez begged.

Hyde's silence was his answer.

"Well, have you apologized to her?" Donna inquired.

"For what?" Hyde asked, clearly confused as to why he'd need to do such a thing.

Donna shook her head. "For upsetting her, dillhole." She reached over and punched Hyde on the arm.

"I'm not Kelso you know!" Hyde said as he rubbed his arm.

"And yet, you're just as dumb as he is." Donna stated.

After a minute, Hyde sighed. "Fine, I'll go talk to her." He said as he got up from the table. Donna watched him walk off.

"I have a bad feeling about all this." Fez stated.

* * *

An hour later, Donna and Fez made their way up to Jackie's room. Inside, Jackie was sitting alone, watching General Hospital. 

"That Bobbie is such a bitch." Jackie said as the two settled down in their seats.

"Why are you alone?" Donna asked as she looked around the room for a sign of Hyde.

Jackie looked at Donna inquisitively. "Oh, are you inquiring as to why Steven isn't here?"

Donna nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh." Jackie said with a fake sweetness. "It's because he's a moron."

"So you haven't seen him?" Donna asked.

Jackie shook her head. "Not since last night. Can you believe him Donna? I thought you were dead? Who the hell says that?"

Donna shook her head. She knew that if Eric… no, not Eric, she corrected herself mentally, if someone she was dating (that was better) told her that, she would have beat on them until they said they were sorry.

"Well, I don't blame you for not wanting to spend the night with him." Donna told her.

"Yeah, it probably be better though if I didn't miss him so much." Jackie pouted. "Maybe I should just apologize"

"What for?" Fez asked. "He's the one who messed up."

"I know, but… it's stupid isn't it? To get mad at something so trivial?"

A part of Donna didn't really understand how Jackie could be so forgiving of them after everything she and Hyde had done to her, but she knew better to fight with it. It seemed that the experience had changed all of them, Jackie most of all. It was as though the new Jackie knew things that the old Jackie did not, and yet, it felt as though something was off with her best friend.

"You're right, it is trivial." Donna agreed. "Do you want me to go find him and tell him to come here?"

Jackie smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." Donna said. "Come on Fez."

"But… those two people are to have sex." Fez said pointing pitifully to the television.

"Fine, I'll find Hyde by myself." Donna huffed.

* * *

Donna was waiting by the elevator when Hyde came walking around the corner. 

"There you are!" She exclaimed. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Record store." Hyde said nonchalantly. "I have to hire someone since Randy left and I can't be there that much to look after things."

"In other words, you're avoiding talking to Jackie." Donna stated.

"Am not, and really, you're one to talk." Hyde snapped.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Donna asked as she crossed her arms.

"It means that the minute Jackie opened her eyes and said she forgave you, you've been acting like the dutiful best friend but have you actually talked to her about what you did?"

"Have you?" Donna countered, already knowing the answer. It was true that she and Jackie hadn't had the big talk yet, but every time she wanted to, a voice in her head would come on, asking if she really wanted to ruin a good thing by bringing up the past.

When Hyde didn't respond, she carried on, her voice soft but firm. "Do you really think that anything is going to change? So she took you back, big deal. You got quote un quote married, Hyde, you treated Jackie like she was garbage for months until one night where you got so piss faced drunk that while I was running around trying to find her, you were sitting against a tree, laughing like fucking lunatic, saying how quiet it was now that Jackie wasn't around. How have you made up for it so far? Oh right, you told her you were going to leave when she flat lined." She could tell his temper was about to burst but she didn't care. These things needed to be said.

"Oh, and you were so great that night too?" Hyde hissed. Donna interrupted him before he could list all of her faults.

"I ditched her, I know. I wanted to be alone with Randy, so I ditched her and made her go with you. I lost everything Hyde, I lost my mother, I lost Eric, I even lost you, and all I wanted was to forget, to just have a good time with a guy I'm not even sure I ever really liked in the first place, so I ditched Jackie and nearly lost her as well." She felt a sense of déjà vu as though they had this same exact conversation before.

Hyde never got a chance to retort because Fez was running out of Jackie's room, yelling for help. They watched as Kitty Forman, some other nurses and doctors scrambled into her room, pushing Fez out of the way as one of the nurses closed the door quickly behind her. Fez ran up to her and Hyde.

"We were playing cards…."

* * *

"Do you have any threes?" Fez asked. 

Jackie took her one three out of her hand and gave it to Fez. "Oh look, Luke and Scotty are fighting again."

The two watched the T.V and groaned as the two characters took swings at each other.

"That looked painful." Fez commented. The two turned back to their game.

"Jacks?" Jackie asked.

Fez grinned and handed her a Jack of hearts. "A Jack for a Jackie."

Jackie smiled as she took the card. She was putting it with her other cards when she stopped.

"Is everything okay?" Fez asked worriedly.

Jackie wasn't listening though; she was fixating on the Jack of Hearts. Slowly, she started to shake and mumble something Fez couldn't decipher. It almost sounded like she was talking to someone. Not knowing what to do, Fez ran out of the door for help.

* * *

They watched as Jackie's shrink walked briskly down the hallway, opened the door and went inside. 

"Crap." Hyde said.

They could hear yelling from inside the room. Jackie's voice carried through the thin walls as she screamed at the doctors to let her go.

"What the hell is going on in there?" Donna was about ready to march in and aid Jackie when Kitty Forman came out the room.

"Mrs. Forman!" Hyde shouted over the chaos.

Kitty walked over to them, clearly upset but trying to hide it. She gave one of her signature laughs in order to calm herself down.

"What's going on?" Fez asked.

"Everything is fine now kids, Jackie just had a little moment." Kitty explained.

"What the hell is a moment?" Hyde asked.

"Steven, language." Kitty admonished. "Anyway, they're going to run some more tests to make sure that nothing is out of place."

"Tests?" Donna asked. "I thought they did a bunch of tests and everything came back fine."

"Well, they did." Kitty agreed, "But Dr. Benson and Dr. Reiner want to make sure they didn't miss anything.."

Donna knew what this meant. It meant that Jackie was going to be in the hospital indefinably, unable to go home until the doctors gave their say so. She looked over at Hyde who was clearly thinking the same thing. Jackie wasn't going to be happy about this.

"You kids go on home." Kitty suggested. "I'm going off my shift in a couple hours, and then I'll be home to make you all a nice dinner." She smiled softly.

The three of them could only nod and walk away, though none of them wanted to. Slowly and silently, they rode down the elevator and walked out the front door. The three stood in a row, staring at the parking lot.

"So…" Donna started.

"So." Hyde replied.

"We could go to the Hub." Fez suggested.

Both Donna and Hyde shrugged. Donna wasn't sure she was in the mood for the Hub.

"The record store?" Donna offered. "Didn't you say you needed to hire someone?"

"Already did." Hyde replied. "Some girl named Cara."

"Is she hot?" Fez asked hopefully.

Donna stifled a laugh as Hyde tried to subtly nod his head at Fez. She reached over and frogged his arm.

Hyde rubbed his arm but didn't say anything. "I didn't say I was attracted to her, just that she's cute. You should get her number, Fez."

Fez nodded. "I might."

Donna rolled her eyes and decided to get back on topic. Donna knew that the three of them knew where they would eventually end up. Donna wasn't sure what it was, if it was Eric and Kelso leaving, or Jackie's so-called accident or if everything had just built up, but the basement no longer felt alive, especially now since they had taken over the two chairs, even though Hyde had rarely sat in his chair since Jackie had woken up.

* * *

Several hours later and a stomach full of food, Donna found herself in her room, unable to sleep. She got out of bed to close the window, gone were the days when she would leave the window open so her boyfriend could climb in after her father and his parents had gone to bed. After pulling the window shut, she leaned her head up against the window pane. The echoes Jackie's screams from that day surrounded her as though on surround sound, filling her ears until any trace of other thoughts. 

What the hell was she going to do? A brief thought crossed her mind that maybe the doctors weren't trying to help Jackie get better, but she shook it off. Donna wasn't the paranoid conspiracy nut of the group. She was the rational one, the one that kept the gang in line.

And that, it seemed, is where Donna failed. She was supposed to tell Hyde to tell Sam to high tail it back to the hell chasm she had crawled out of, but instead, she had said nothing, and had even gone as far as to become friends with her. While Donna knew that somehow, she had made up for the past, she knew she could never be fully redeemed until she talked to Jackie about everything. She paced through her room until she couldn't wait any longer and then, quietly, she snuck out of her room. She needed to talk to Jackie now.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Hyde's El Camino was still in the driveway. It meant that she'd be able to talk to Jackie alone.

* * *

The night nurse barely paid Donna any attention as she walked quickly but quietly to Jackie's room. When she opened the door, she saw that Jackie was shaking in her sleep. Donna quickly closed the door and went over to the bed where she crawled in and put her arms around Jackie in order to steady her. Slowly, Jackie started to wake up. 

"Donna?" She asked, emotionally wrecked.

"Yeah, you okay?" Donna asked, concerned.

Jackie nodded beside her. "Yeah, it happens."

"It looked pretty bad." Donna stated.

Jackie let out a breath. "I'm getting used to them. The Nazi guy said that they're normal."

Donna wanted to growl. There was absolutely nothing normal about any of this.

"He said they're going to put me on some new medication, but I don't want to." Both girls sat up in the bed, still close. Donna could already feel herself get lighter, but she knew that the hard part was just beginning.

"Jackie, there's something I need to tell you, and I know you don't want to hear it, but I need to say it."

"Donna, please, all I need is for you to tell me one thing."

Donna knew what Jackie was about to ask. She took Jackie's hands and looked into her eyes. "Which time?" She asked.

Jackie gulped. "Both."

Donna nodded. She should have known. "Right, um, well, the night… well, uh,"

"Just spit it out, Donna."

Donna sighed; something about Jackie's bossy tone was oddly comforting. Slowly, she told Jackie about her experience the night Jackie had drowned in the creek. How she had run all over the woods, yelling Jackie's name, how she had thrown Hyde's glasses, how Randy had given her CPR, everything, but she didn't stop with just that night, she told Jackie everything she had gone through while Jackie was in the coma. She left no detail out, even the ones that made her look less than worthy.

"And when you died, I think I died too, a little bit. Cliché right?" Donna laughed at herself. She knew better to make that comparison.

"No, it's not, not right now at least." Jackie said emphatically. "Donna, you're my best friend okay? We both were stupid for a really long time, but… you know what I told my shrink? I told him I thought what happened was a good thing, because it made us better people. I forgave Steven the minute he walked out last night, but we both needed time to think things over, and as for us, Donna, a blind guy could see that you've changed. I saw it the moment I looked at you. We're not the same people we were before, and for once, I think that's okay."

Donna did the only thing she could do and reached over to hug Jackie. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" She asked.

Jackie shook her head. "No, I want to talk about you, so tell me about this skank who has stolen your man."

"Eric isn't my man anymore, Jackie. We moved on."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you two could be half way around the world from each other and married to other people and he would still be yours and you would be his. You're soul mates, there's no hiding from that, so don't even try."

"You talk like you know about this." Donna commented.

Jackie gave a little shrug. "I do." She looked like she wanted to say something else but didn't.

"I'm not sure I'm used to this new ultra forgiving Jackie." Donna confessed. "I was certain you were going to murder me."

Jackie laughed. "Oh, I'm still going to tell the nurses tomorrow that you made out with Clifford."

"Wait, isn't he the dorky orderly with the big coke bottle glasses?" Donna asked.

"Yep." Jackie grinned.

Donna laughed and hugged Jackie again. "Thanks."

"Sure, lumberjack." Jackie hugged Donna back. "Now let's get some sleep. I need to rest up because tomorrow I'm supposed to have more tests."

"You sound thrilled." Donna said.

Jackie looked over at her IV bag. "This medicine is making me nauseous."

"You want me to go get someone?" Donna asked.

"No, it's okay; I have a bed pan next to me." Jackie said as she pointed to the floor beside her. "After what happened this afternoon, Mrs. Forman thought it would be a good idea."

"What happened?" Donna asked. They were both growing sleepy.

"I threw up on one of the nurses." Jackie mumbled. "Anywhoo, they keep looking inside my brain like something's there, but there isn't… 'cept my brain."

Donna would have laughed at Jackie's drowsy talk if she wasn't so tired herself. There was still one thing she needed to say though before she could sleep.

"Jackie, I just want you to know, that whatever happens, I'm here for you."

Jackie reached behind her and grabbed Donna's hand. "I know."

* * *

Okay people, you know what to do. Next chapter is either past Hyde or Jackie centric, I haven't decided. 

Also, I know I need to update a bunch of things, but I don't want to try to work on a bunch of stuff all at once, so tell me what you want me to update, and I'll do my best to get it done by the time I leave for vacation (Next Wednesday)


	6. As You Are

This chapter was hard to write, emotionally, so please leave a review.

I'm also back from my vacation/s so I'll be able to get out new chapter, pending inspiration and time and all that.

As You Are.

* * *

"I wanna go home." Jackie told her therapist. "You can't keep me captive here forever."

Dr. Benson merely raised his dark eyebrow and tapped his pen on his notepad. "Are you having any more dreams or hallucinations?"

"No." Jackie lied.

"You know I can't send you home until I'm absolutely sure that you're not a danger to yourself or others." The doctor reminded her.

Jackie did the only thing she could do when someone said this to her. She nodded.

"Let's talk about your relationships with your friends prior to your death."

Jackie cringed at the therapist's choice of words. "Do you always have to use the word death?"

"That was what it was, wasn't it?" Dr. Benson asked. "What else would you want me to call it?"

"I don't know." Jackie snapped. "Anything except that, it's creepy."

"Jackie, the sooner you come to accept it for what it is, the sooner you can begin to heal."

Jackie could only stare incredulously at the doctor.

* * *

Jackie took a bite of the burger Fez brought her and put it down on her food tray. "It's almost time for my pills."

Fez shook his head. "I can't believe they think you're crazy. I mean, you are, but in a good way."

Jackie shook her head, resigned to her fate. "I attacked a nurse, Fez. I'm lucky I wasn't put in a padded room."

"I still say the nurse had it coming." Fez muttered.

Jackie had to laugh at Fez's defense of her. Through everything that had happened, he had been the one person to stand by her, and that meant the world.

"You talk to Hyde yet?" Fez asked curiously.

"Nope." Jackie said with food in her mouth. "The last time I saw him was yesterday when he said he'd be back later and that he had to think." Jackie tried to keep her voice level, but the truth was she was scared that he had run off again.

"He'll be back, Jackie." Fez said while he reached for Jackie's hand. "I know it."

Jackie allowed herself to smile at Fez, and then sighed. "Do you think I made a mistake?"

Fez looked at Jackie intently. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Do you think I made a mistake forgiving him?" Jackie asked a little more confidently.

Fez shrugged. "Jackie, I…" He squeezed Jackie's hand. "I really can't say."

Jackie nodded, knowing full well that Fez was right. She could remember every detail of how Hyde was that night, and knew that if it hadn't been for Not! Eric and the Prince, she would be cursing the name of Steven Hyde right about now.

Aside from getting a divorce from a woman he had never been married to in the first place, what had he truly done to deserve her forgiveness?

He had begged. He had held her the night she woke up, had cried with her, had touched her as though she would break apart in his arms, and she had.

Jackie gulped. "I'll be right back." She told Fez as she climbed out of her hospital bed to go to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and walked to the sink, turned on the cold water and splashed her face. With her eyes still closed, she reached over for a towel to wipe her face. She lifted her face up and opened her eyes.

She could see herself in the mirror, but it wasn't her reflection, but Jackie, the princess. She was standing in front of the disappearing cottage, crying. Jackie bit her lip as the girl in the mirror looked up as though she knew someone was watching her. Then the image turned black, a liquid puddle swirling together. Tentatively, Jackie reached out to touch it when she heard Hyde's voice.

"Jackie, are you there?"

Jackie stepped away from the mirror and gulped. "Yeah, I'll be right out." With another look at the still black mirror, she walked out of the bathroom.

"Fez said he had to go to work." Hyde explained the reasoning for Fez's departure. Jackie knew it was a lie and that Fez had the day off, but she said nothing. Instead she stood still, waiting for Hyde to explain where he had been.

"Oh, so you're not going to make this easy on me are you?" Hyde asked nervously.

Jackie shook her head. "Nope."

Hyde nodded. "I guess I should be grateful for that… it's after all what I wanted."

Jackie was confused. What was he talking about? "What?"

Hyde took a deep breath. "Uh, I did some thinking, and I figure out what's bothering me."

Jackie took a deep breath herself. "Go on."

"It's you, well, not you, you, but um, the way you are, uh, I guess then it is you, but um…"

"Steven, I don't understand."

"Jackie, I know something is wrong. I also know you don't want to tell me, and that's okay, but I gotta get this out. I know you're afraid of dealing with what happened, and maybe I would be too, but I miss the Jackie who would have ripped me to shreds, who would have kicked me into I was black and blue. This isn't you."

"Of course this is me." Jackie explained.

"No it isn't!" Hyde yelled. "The Jackie I know wouldn't have just accepted some lowly apology after what I did! You forgave me Jackie when I don't deserve to be forgiven. The Jackie I know is strong, determined, shrill, annoying, beautiful and demanding and I love her. I love her! I want my Jackie back!" He stepped away from her and began pacing around the room. Jackie could only watch.

"You want to know what happened when you died?" He asked slowly. "I thought that you gave up on me. I thought, here it is, the moment of truth, she doesn't think you're worthy of redemption and you want to know what else, I thought you were right. You were right to choose death and that's why I left. I thought I had nothing left, and I just, I couldn't deal with it."

"Oh." Jackie said softly. "It's okay."

"No!" Hyde yelled again. "It's not okay, aren't you listening, I seriously fucked up Jacki. I told you I didn't know when I did, I got drunk in a warehouse instead of talking to you, I let you go to Chicago, I married another woman when I said I wouldn't marry you, I even stayed with her! I flaunted her in front of your face; I let you fall into a raging creek! I just left you alone for two days without any goodbye or explanation and here you are, just letting me back in like nothing happened!"

"I know it happened!" Jackie screamed. "I know you did all those things, I was there!"

"So tell me to leave, just for now. Tell me to leave so you can be alone and we can work this out."

Jackie shook her head. She knew she couldn't do that, after all, her complete and total forgiveness of him was what brought her back to life. If she took it back now, what was to happen?

"I…" She began, but was interrupted by Fez coming into the room.

"Fez…" Hyde glared at their friend for intruding.

"Sorry." Fez stammered. "But we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Jackie asked. She was actually grateful for Fez's intrusion.

Fez locked the door to the room and walked to the couple to explain.

* * *

Fez sat awkwardly on Jackie's bed while she was in the bathroom. He traced the design on the fabric, humming the tune from Stairway to Heaven when Hyde walked in.

"Is Jackie here?" He asked.

Fez glared at his curly haired friend. "She's in there." He pointed to the bathroom door. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I drove around." Hyde shrugged. "Can you give me and Jackie some time alone?"

Fez nodded, not only because Hyde had actually asked nicely, but because he knew they needed it. He patted Hyde on the shoulder for good luck and then left the room.

With nothing else to do, Fez decided to go the mall to get an Orange Julius. He knew he had more than a few hours to kill, and maybe after he got himself his smoothie he would go over to Hyde's record store to chat up the new girl.

"So what do we do about her?"

Fez knew the voice on the other side of the corner was Jackie's therapist. Fez stood still, and waited for whoever was with him to answer.

"You know perfectly well what you're to do about her." The voice that spoke was soft, almost like a caress, but Fez couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine.

"Well, I can't legally keep her here forever." The therapist argued. "Barnett is already threatening to stop paying her bills."

Fez did a fist pump. Thank god someone was trying to get Jackie out of there.

"Her bills are the least of your worries." The man told him. "Remember our deal?"

A third voice spoke up. "You better do what he says Calvin, otherwise you'll lose everything."

"I know that!" The shrink snapped. "Okay fine, I'll keep saying she's not ready to be released, but I don't know for how long I can keep doing it. She's getting really persistent."

There was soft laughter from around the corner. "Of course she is."

Fez's heart was beating out of his chest. Who was this gravelly voiced man and why did he want Jackie to stay in the hospital?

* * *

Jackie said nothing as Fez told his story. She gripped the sides of her bed and swallowed.

"Huh." Hyde said, mostly to himself. "Well, they didn't actually say Jackie's name."

She knew he was just trying to make her feel better. "Steven, it's okay. I know they meant me."

"No, he's right, I might have heard wrong." Fez interjected. "They were probably talking about some other patient that uh, some guy named Barnett is paying the bills for."

Jackie told herself to remain calm. She would get through this.

CUT

After Fez left, Hyde and Jackie stared awkwardly at each other, their earlier conversation still fresh in their minds.

"So…" Hyde began.

"So…" Jackie repeated.

She still wasn't sure what she would say to him. There was so much she had to deal with at the moment that it felt like it was engulfing her. She felt now exactly like she had the night she had drowned.

Her savior came in the form of a nurse carrying a tray of pills. She handed Jackie her medicine with a smile. "Good night, Jackie."

"Night Rachel." Jackie said carelessly. She fiddled with the pills in her hands, trying to decide what to do.

"I'm going to take these in there." She told Hyde, pointing to the bathroom.

He nodded at her and Jackie walked quickly into the small room. She sat the pills onto the sink and looked into the mirror. Nothing was strange or unusual about the reflective glass. All she could see was her reflection.

"Come on." Jackie urged it. "Please."

The mirror however, remained still.

Jackie looked back at the pills and then back at herself. With a beating heart, she took the pills and put them to her lips, all the while staring at her reflection. Maybe it was the look in her own eyes, maybe it was the earlier conversation Fez had heard, but in that moment, Jackie knew what she had to do. No longer would she play innocent victim to Dr. Benson and his soft voiced colleague. No longer would she sit back and let them decide her future. She was going to find her way back, on her own.

She dropped the pills into the sink. She turned the water on and watched them fall into the drain. Then, with a deep breath, she walked out of the room and faced Hyde.

"I need you to leave." She told him what he needed to hear.

"I hope you know this doesn't mean I'm leaving you." Hyde said. "Because I'm not."

"I know." Jackie said with a smile. She left out the words, "but I am."

He walked over to her and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'll be back after work tomorrow."

"Okay." Jackie smiled. She got into her bed and watched him walk out. A few moments later, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

When Jackie woke up, the first thing she noticed was the sound of the birds singing. Then, she noticed that she was no longer in her hospital gown but in her princess garb, and then, she noticed the face of Not! Eric looked down at her.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

Oh yeah… what will happen next? If you want to find out, you know what to do! 


	7. Bed of Nails

Here is a basic summary of Act One. I thought you guys would appreciate this.

Influenced by the works of Grimm, Baum, Carroll, Dante, Milton, Blake and others, My Soul to Keep is based on the very simple premise, what happened the moment Jackie died? Okay, it's a little more complicated then that, the war between heaven and hell, evil plots, dark matter, etc. Act one focuses mainly on Jackie, Donna and Hyde. Jackie's trying to recover from her coma but is finding herself stuck between the two worlds, unable to complete move on. Hyde is seeking redemption for his past deeds; Donna is trying to find herself in a post Eric world.

This chapter marks the middle of Act One. It's a crucial chapter that echoes the events in the first chapter, (What's to Come) re-reading that might be helpful.

Nothing in this is mine, except for the things that are.

* * *

Chapter 7: Bed of Nails. (Points to whomever can point out the song reference, though it's extremely easy.)

The moment Donna walked into the kitchen and saw her dad's face, she knew something was wrong. He had never been very good at keeping things from her, no matter how hard he tried. His sadness and worry was right there for her to see, and all she could do was grip the back of one of the kitchen chairs and ask what happened.

"Jackie fell back into a coma." Bob said softly, knowing better than to deny anything was wrong. "The doctors are hopeful."

Donna knew what that meant, they had been hopeful when Jackie six weeks ago when they had brought her in, they had been hopeful when she had woken up that her recovery would go smoothly and now they were hopeful again. Hopeful meant that they had no control over what was happening, and were leaving it up to fate.

"I need to go get ready for work." Donna said numbly before leaving the kitchen and going back upstairs to her bedroom. She wasn't in the mood for her father's attempts to cheer her up, or for watching as her friends broke down and begged Jackie to wake up. Most of all, she couldn't watch Hyde break down and blame himself like he inevitably would.

Donna felt like she was in a time warp, that it was still six weeks ago and nothing had happened since then. Maybe she had dreamt the part where Jackie had woken up and had forgiven her, it seemed possible. No, she had woken up. She had talked and had laughed and had granted Donna absolution. Donna knew it wasn't some self created memory, it had happened.

There were too many questions, not enough time.

* * *

Hyde knew something was wrong when he walked into the kitchen and saw Kitty hanging up the phone. The smell of bacon frying on the stove clashed with overwhelming scent of Kitty's tears. She turned to him and tried to smile, but failed. 

"What is it, Kitty?" Red asked for both of them.

"Jackie's in a coma." Kitty informed them, "I'm going to the hospital."

"We'll go with you." Red said.

"No." Kitty held out her hand to stop them both. "Let the doctors do their job, honey." She ordered Hyde. "I'm going to go and when I learn anything, I will let you both know, okay?"

Both men relented and Kitty nodded in satisfaction. "I'll call you." She promised, leaving the bacon still frying. Numbly, Hyde walked over and turned the stove off. He walked over to the door to leave when Red stopped him.

"Where are you going?" Red asked.

Hyde didn't turn around when he answered. "I can't stay here."

Red didn't ask where he was going. He didn't need to.

* * *

It had been Bob who had called Fez to tell him the news. After hanging up the phone, Fez repeated what Bob had told him over and over in his head. Jackie was in a coma. The words felt too familiar to him, too accurate. Part of him seemed to forget that for a while, Jackie hadn't been in a coma. This was seemed strangely natural, strangely true. It was a good thing he had the day off because not even touching hair would cheer him up. His goddess was back in hell. 

Angry and sad, Fez walked over to his mantle and took the picture he had of him and Jackie off. He stared at it for a moment as he remembered the day it was taken. He and Jackie had just won the roller disco championship and were on the rink, Jackie was in his arms holding onto the trophy, and both were laughing with joy. It was probably his fondest memory of Jackie, even though he had loads to choose from. He stared at the picture for another moment before his grief overtook him and he dropped the picture onto the ground, breaking the glass frame.

Today was not a good day.

* * *

Kitty watched as Jackie's neurologist and a man she didn't know talked outside Jackie's door. As another nurse walked by, Kitty grabbed her arm. 

"Who is that, Claire?"

Claire looked over at the two men and shrugged. "I think his name is Warrick, he's administration, but don't take my word for it."

Kitty nodded and let go of Claire's arm. As the other woman walked away, the neurologist turned to Kitty and smiled.

"Nurse Kitty, would you come here?" He asked.

Kitty walked up to the two men and waited to be introduced.

"Claude, this is Kitty, one of our finest nurses." The neurologist said.

The man smiled and nodded. "Oh yes, I hear that you have close ties to the patient." He spoke softly; his voice was as smooth as velvet.

Kitty nodded at the man. "She's very dear to me."

The man nodded and then coughed. "Oh silly me, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Claude Warrick." He stuck out his hand for Kitty to shake, and when she took it, her hand felt instantly warmed, as though it was too close to a hot stove.

"You have very warm hands." She said as she took her hand away.

Claude Warrick smiled in return. "My wife, Penny is the opposite, she's always cold."

"Well isn't that the way it always works?" The neurologist asked.

"Doctor Reiner." Kitty spoke to get his attention. She needed to know what Jackie's condition was.

Dr. Reiner sighed as he turned to Kitty. "All the tests say she's fine, Kitty. If I had to guess, I'd say it's stress related."

"Stress related?" Kitty repeated.

He nodded, "Dr. Benson seems to think it's psychological."

Kitty pursed her lips. "Of course he does."

"Now, Kitty, I know you're not one of Dr. Benson's greatest fans."

"Neither are you." Kitty reminded him.

"I take it you two are not fond of Dr. Benson?" Claude asked them.

The other two looked at each other as they searched for something to say. "He's had a lot of complaints over the years." Kitty tried explaining.

Claude nodded. "I see." He said tensely.

"I need to go check on the other patients." Kitty informed them. In truth, she just wanted to get away from the man in the grey suit.

* * *

Donna put on Beth by Kiss and sighed as she turned around to face Hyde. 

"Good song." Hyde said with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"I thought you'd be at the hospital." Donna stated.

Hyde shook his head. "I can't go there, at least not yet."

Donna nodded. "I understand. I was even thinking about taking the next shift just so I'd have something to do, but whatever." She shrugged indifferently.

There was silence as Hyde walked over to the collection of records and began to look through them. Donna watched as he ran his fingers over the titles.

"Would you hand me Blondie's Parallel Lines?" she asked.

"Sure." Hyde replied. He searched for the record and then gave it to Donna.

"Next up is Blondie with Heart of Glass and it goes out to anyone who has ever had a broken heart." Donna said into the microphone, "This is WKPP and you're listening to me, Hot Donna." She put the record on.

"I'm gonna go." Hyde told her. Donna nodded and waved goodbye as Hyde left.

* * *

Fez paced around his apartment for a moment as he gathered up the courage to call Kelso. Finally, he grabbed the phone and dialed. On the sixth ring, Kelso answered. 

"Hello." Kelso said sleepily.

"Hey Kelso."

"Hey, buddy!" Kelso said cheerfully. "Look, right now isn't a good time; I've got a girl here."

"Uh, Kelso, it's about Jackie."

"What about Jackie?" Kelso's tone instantly changed, making Fez all the more nervous.

"She's in a coma, again." Fez said it as fast as he could.

"Dude, I can't understand you, it sounded like you said that Jackie's in a coma." Kelso said with a laugh.

"Um, yeah." Fez said with a wince. He told Kelso everything he knew, starting with Jackie's freak outs and the conversation he had overheard with her therapist and the soft voiced man.

There was a pause and then finally Kelso said, "I'll be there in two hours."

* * *

After her shift, Donna found herself walking through the park across from the hospital. She kept her head low, paying little attention to the world around her. She knew there had to be birds chirping in the trees, squirrels gathering nuts, people on picnics, playing Frisbee, walking their dogs, but Donna didn't notice any of it. Everything had been building up inside her for the past few months, and it seemed as though she had finally reached her breaking point. It was right now that she wished she had fought harder for Eric and had begged him to stay. None of this would have happened if he had been there.

Keeping her head down so that no one would see the tears form in her eyes, she stared at the tiny bits of quartz in the stone pathway as she walked.

"Excuse me child." A woman with a strong accent said after Donna bumped into her.

Donna looked up at the person addressing her. "Sorry." There was something very familiar about the woman in front of her. Her curly black hair hung long on her back and she was dressed in a rust orange skirt and matching blouse and her hands were covered in henna tattoos. On her left arm she held a large woolen bag.

"You look lost." The woman commented.

Donna tried to place her accent. If she had to venture a guess, it would have been Romanian or Hungarian, but she wasn't sure.

"I'm fine." Donna replied. "Sorry I bumped into you."

The woman smiled brightly, "Do not think anything of it, I can see that something saddens you." Her voice was sympathetic and Donna felt herself drawn to the woman.

"Thank you." Donna gave a slight smile.

"Would you like to talk about it?" The woman asked.

"I don't know." Donna said hesitantly. "I'm not big on discussing my problems with strangers."

The woman nodded thoughtfully. "A usually wise decision, yes… I am Serena, and now we are not strangers."

Donna laughed lightly. "Okay, I'm Donna."

"Donna," The woman grinned. "Let's go over to that table." She pointed to an empty table near them. They walked to it and sat down on each side. Serena sat her bag next to her and pulled out a deck of warn looking tarot cards.

"Oh um, I don't want…"

Serena raised her eyebrow at Donna. "Are you sure?"

Donna eyed the cards for a moment. While rationally she felt they were just a bunch of hocus pocus, she couldn't see any reason why getting a reading would hurt.

"Okay." She conceded.

Serena smiled again and began to shuffle the deck.

"That deck looks pretty old." Donna stated.

"Yes, they were my mothers." She replied as she continued shuffling. Finally, she placed the deck onto the table in-between herself and Donna. Looking Donna in the eye, Serena took the top card and placed it on the table.

"The six of swords," Serena said, "but it is reversed."

"What does that mean?" Donna asked.

"Usually, the six of swords indicates a pleasant journey; however in this case, it seems to indicate stagnation, difficulty without end."

"Oh." Donna said not knowing what else to say. To say that Donna felt stagnant would be the understatement of the century.

Serena put the next card beside the first. "The Knight of wands… this is very unusual."

"What is?" Donna queried.

"It seems that you're going to be taking a journey after all."

"Well, that's good right?"

Serena shook her head. "This card, it speaks about journeys yes, but they are never the ones you thought you would take. This is a journey into the un known." Seeing Donna frown, the woman smiled. "Perhaps I am reading this wrong, let's see what the next card says." With that she pulled the next card of the top of the deck and placed it beside the others.

"The page of wands, he is the most loyal of messengers and friends… this is someone you are very close to, is it not?"

"I thought I was." Donna said, instantly thinking of Eric.

"You still are." Serena said confidently. She placed the next card above the first and frowned. "The ten of wands… the wands are strong in this deck…"

"What is it?" Donna asked.

"There is a traitor in the midst… someone dangerous and deceiving… he is the reason you will take this journey."

"I don't know of anyone who would do that." Donna told her. "Go on." She instructed Serena to continue the reading. She obeyed and took the last card.

"The ace of swords."

"It's reversed." Donna commented. "That's probably not good is it?" Donna watched the woman as she stopped smiling. Her face was solemn as she looked at the card. "I have never seen such a troublesome reading before, and I have done many in my lifetime… this card, Donna, please take this to heart."

Enough of the reading had rang true already for Donna, even if she didn't know what she had meant by a journey or the bit about the traitor, that she nodded and said, "I will."

"The ace of swords depicts a violent act, a most horrible crime…watch out for the traitor Donna, for the sake of those you care about.

Donna nodded, "I will." In her minds eye, she remembered the conversation Fez had overheard between the creepy man and Jackie's psychiatrist. Was he the traitor?

Serena smiled as she put away the cards. "Do not worry so much, you will know what to do when the time comes."

"How can you be sure?" Donna asked.

The woman smiled sadly and pulled up her sleeve. Tattooed on her arm in black ink were numbers. "I know how precious life is."

"Shit." Donna muttered. "I'm so…"

"Don't." Serena said holding up her hand to keep Donna for apologizing. "You were not there."

"Right." Donna said, "Still, here I am, thinking about how the love of my life is marrying another woman and my best friend is in a coma, and the rest of my friends are falling apart, it seems so insignificant."

"Nothing is insignificant. " Serena informed her, "I survived, grew strong and have lived a most successful life. I did not give up, and neither will you. If you need to run, run and don't look back, and if you need to fight, then you do that. What you do matters, Donna."

Serena's words of advice stirred something deep within Donna. She knew that Serena was right. Silently, she made a vow to do what needed to be done, no matter what the cost. She was going to find a way to help Jackie and Hyde.

"Thank you." Donna said as she stood up from her seat. "Really."

Serena followed suit and stood up as well. "I live in the blue house on Robinson, if you, or any of your friends needs anything, come to me and I will help you."

"Blue house, got it." Donna repeated. "Thank you, again."

"Go." Serena said waving her hand. "Start your journey."

For the first time that day, Donna felt something akin to hope.

* * *

Hyde walked into the dark hospital room and sat next to Jackie in his chair. He took her hand and stroked it lightly. 

"Huh, déjà vu." He remarked to her. "I suppose I should make a joke about you not talking… I've kind of exhausted those haven't I; besides, you know I miss you talking." Hyde took a long breath and stared down at Jackie's hand. "I always forget how tiny your hands are… how tiny you are. You're like, you're literally a doll. Must be why I call you that huh… look, Jackie, about what I said yesterday, you know I…look, if being with me, flaws and all is what makes you live, then that's perfectly alright with me. It's not like I want to be without you anyway, I just thought that I should earn your trust back first, but if you're going to be pulling this crap on me, then um, I can't say no. I'll even make you a deal, if you wake up, we'll get married. How bout it?"

He knew it sounded pathetic in his head as he said it. "Shit, look, that wasn't a proposal, okay it was, but I'm not proposing so you'll wake up, although, I mean, it wouldn't hurt, otherwise you won't be able to say your vows and that just… I just really want you to wake up, whatever it takes Jackie, I will do whatever it takes." Needing to gather his zen back, he let go of her hand and sighed. "I'll be right back." He told her and then walked into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and leaned up against the door. It was then that he heard the door to Jackie's room open and footsteps come in. Hyde remained still, grateful he hadn't turned on the bathroom light yet. He pressed his ear to the door to listen.

"She's in town." Hyde didn't recognize the voice of the first person.

"She isn't our concern." Hyde instantly recognized the voice of the second person. He was the man who had come into the record store asking for Tommy Johnson. The man's voice sent a chill down Hyde's spine. What the hell was he doing in Jackie's room?

"Well, you don't have to worry." The first man said, "As long as she's here, your plan will work."

"Work?" The soft voiced man asked, "This girl is the reason you are here, Ick."

"It's Icarus." The first said with a whine. "I still don't see what this… girl is so special."

There was a pause and Hyde waited with baited breath to see what the other man would say.

"She freed us." The man spoke with fondness for Jackie. It made Hyde want to run out there and beat the man to a bloody pulp, but he knew it would be futile. The second man continued, "Without her, you would still be in the pit, wallowing about your own misfortunes."

"Yeah, but she could also send us back. If she ever found out, and got help, and you know who is looking after her… and with Serena being in town…"

"You forget, Ick, that Jacqueline here does not have any knowledge of what truly happened, and do you really think he's going to tell her? The operation will continue on as planned." The second man sounded colder and more authoritarian than usual.

Doubt began to sink inside Hyde's mind. Not only did he wonder what the two men were talking about, but mostly he worried about Jackie's involvement in it. She had been in the hospital for the last month, whatever she had done, it had to have been before the night she had drowned. Surely if Jackie had gotten into trouble she would have told him about it. Sure, they weren't getting along, but she knew that he'd still help her if she needed it, right? As he thought back on the conversation he had just heard, he remembered that they said she didn't know what she had did. Never the less, she was in danger and needed to be protected. He waited for a few moments to make sure the men were gone and then slowly, he opened the door and walked out. Briefly, he stared into the empty hallway and then looked back at Jackie.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes." He promised her for a third time.

* * *

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, tell me what you thought about it. I love hearing your thoughts and theories and while I have everything mapped out already, if there is anything you think this story can benefit from, let me know!

No subservient demons were hurt in the making of this chapter. The next chapter: The land of the not quite dead part one.


	8. Underneath the Juniper Tree

I loved writing this chapter, simply because of how simple it is. For those you who were fans of Into the Woods, this chapter is the most like that. There's even a fairy tale.

I own very little, please don't take it away.

**Underneath the Juniper Tree.**

Jackie could feel her skin burning as her former companion stared at her. His words, "What are you doing here?" made her instantly regret her decision. What had she done?

"I… don't really know." She admitted.

Not! Eric closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them, darker than ever. "You made your choice."

"I know!" Jackie tried to defend herself, "But…"

"But what?" he asked, glaring at her.

"It's hard." Jackie admitted finally.

"What, you thought it'd be all puppies and kittens?" he asked sarcastically, "Sorry, Princess, but life is hard."

"He left me." Jackie cried out.

"Left you? Who left you?"

"Steven, he…" Jackie couldn't admit it, not even to herself. She watched as her friend shook his head and started pacing, muttering to himself.

"Why did he leave you?"

"I… don't know, he said he wants to start over."

"And instead of doing that, you came back here." Not! Eric finished for her, "Smart move."

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Jackie asked, "You were never mean to me!"

"I was plenty mean to you," Not! Eric reminded her, "Besides, I'm just trying to figure out why you decided to break your word…that's not allowed here, there are penalties."

"Oh." Jackie sighed. "Well if it helps, I also came back because I think my doctors are trying to kill me."

"I see you've gained his sense of paranoia." He retorted, referring to Steven.

"No, I mean, they keep giving me this weird medication and even though nothing's wrong with me, they keep me at the hospital. My shrink is a freaking loon."

"Jackie, dear, you're here with me, I think the doctors might have a point."

Jackie could feel herself getting more and more frustrated with every moment. He wasn't listening to her. "No," she tried arguing, "You don't understand."

"No, I understand, you're scared, and that's to be expected, but princess, you don't belong here." His voice was sympathetic as he put his hand on her arm. "Go home."

"I don't know if I can." Jackie admitted.

"Sure you can, just click your heels three times and say, there's no place like home."

Jackie shook her head, "That only worked for Dorothy."

Not! Eric grinned, "And it'll work for you too, all you have to do is believe!"

Jackie pointed her finger at her friend, "and what if I don't know where my home is, and don't say it's where the heart is."

Not! Eric laughed and shook his head, "I'm actually going to miss you, Princess."

Jackie smiled, "Which is why you should let me stay."

He just smiled though as he put his hands onto hers. Jackie could feel herself getting weaker at his touch, as though an electric charge was seeping through her bloodstream all the way to her heart, before she could cry out, she fainted.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she was eye to eye with a familiar pair of brown eyes.

"AHH." both her and Kelso screamed.

"Michael!" Jackie yelled, "What are you doing?"

"It was his idea!" Kelso yelled, pointing to Fez.

"Was not, you liar!" Fez yelled back, "Jackie, don't listen to him."

Jackie struggled to sit up in her bed, "What happened?"

"You went back into a coma." Fez told her, "We've all been very worried."

"Yeah, Hyde has barely left your side; I don't even think he's seen daylight." Kelso said.

"Really?" Jackie didn't know why, but she felt extremely hopeful at this news.

"Yeah, he and Donna have been beside themselves, we ordered them to go get something to eat though, but they should be back soon, unless you want me to go get them now." Fez offered.

"Yeah." Jackie said, knowing her two closest friends would want to see her.

Fez nodded and ran out of the room, leaving her and Kelso alone. He sat down in the lawn chair and grinned happily at Jackie.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" Jackie asked, referring to his closeness when she woke up.

"Probably not." He admitted.

"Okay." Jackie agreed, deciding to take his word on it. She wasn't sure what to say next, but she didn't need to.

"I'm moving back to Point Place." Kelso informed her.

"Really?" Jackie asked. "That's great, Michael, but what about Brooke and Betsy?"

"They'll live without me, I miss you guys, and I'm beginning to think you need me."

"Well, well, well." Jackie turned and looked at Donna who was standing in the doorway, "If it ain't Sleeping Beauty, awake from her enchanted slumber."

Jackie frowned, "Don't call me that, I get enough of it from the nurses."

Donna laughed as she walked over to hug Jackie. "Welcome back, midget."

"Thanks, lumberjack." Jackie smiled as they finished hugging. "Where's Steven?"

"Mrs. Forman made him go home and take a shower." Donna said with a laugh, "Jackie's not going to want to kiss you if you smell like you've been working in a sewer all day." Donna said, impersonating Kitty.

"That's true." Jackie said with a nod, "I wouldn't."

Donna smiled and put her hand on Jackie's hand, "By the way, I have something I need to talk to you about, later."

Jackie nodded okay, understanding that it had to be something important, but Kelso scoffed. "I wanna know." He whined.

"It's girl stuff." Donna told him.

Kelso frowned, "Fine, I don't want to know your secrets; I'm going to find Fez."

"He was buying a celebratory candy bar out of the vending machine." Donna informed him as Kelso left the room.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Jackie asked. "Oh, did you hear from Eric?"

"No." Donna said with a glare, "I don't know where that dillhole is."

"Oh, okay." Jackie said a little sheepishly, "I was just wondering."

Donna sighed, "No, it's not your fault, I'm just mad at him for leaving."

"And getting engaged to someone else." Jackie added.

Donna glared at her friend, "Jackie, I'm happy you're no longer in a coma, again, but you've got to shut up about Eric, please."

"Okay," Jackie said sincerely, "I will… so what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"I think your shrink is out to get you."

Jackie was nonplussed by this information. "And?"

"And I mean, I really think he's out to get you… We've been hearing weird things around here lately."

Jackie frowned, "What kind of weird things?"

Donna filled her in on what she, Hyde and Fez had all heard around the hospital.

"I need to get out of here." Jackie said. "But they won't let me out until I pass my psych evaluation, and this is just going to make it worse." She wanted to cry.

Donna nodded thoughtfully, "Maybe WB can threaten to stop paying your bills."

Jackie raised her eyebrow at Donna's suggestion, "That's not a bad idea."

Donna smiled in agreement. "Oh, so I met someone."

Jackie was surprised, "You did? What's his name?"

"Serena." Donna answered.

Jackie cringed, "Uh, Donna, don't tell me you're into girls now."

Donna grimaced, "No, I met this woman at the park the other day, she gave me one of those tarot readings, and she was really cool."

"A tarot reading?" Jackie asked skeptically, "What'd it say? Let me guess, you're going to become rich and marry the man of your dreams."

"Actually it said that we're all in a lot of danger and the only person who can help us is Eric."

Jackie laughed, "Well, then you know that's a crock."

Donna shook her head, "I'm not sure it is, I mean, with all the stuff that's going on lately, I'm starting to think there's more to it than meets the eye."

Jackie didn't want to say what she was thinking, which was there was definitely more to it than just what Donna and Steven had witnessed. Instead, she nodded her agreement. "So what did she say we need to do?"

"She basically said we need to stick together, but things will get worse before they get better."

"Super." Jackie sighed.

Donna shrugged, "Jackie, whatever happens, we'll deal with it, I know I messed up before, but…"

"Donna, I keep telling you that I forgive you, when are you going to stop beating yourself?" Jackie asked.

"I just know that I owe you," Donna replied, "So I'll say when we're even, okay?"

Jackie sighed; truthfully she was kind of glad Donna was going out of her way to make their friendship what it once was. She reached out and hugged Donna.

"Fez is going to be mad that he missed this." Hyde said from the doorway. The two girls broke apart and smiled abashedly.

"I'll leave you two alone." Donna said, hopping off the bed. As she walked out she lightly punched Hyde on the arm, "Don't be stupid."

Hyde just shook his head and headed over to Jackie who was waving goodbye to the redhead.

"So…" Hyde said awkwardly, "Uh, how're you?"

"I'm just waiting for the doctors to realize that I'm awake and send me in for more tests." Jackie answered, "But other than that, I'm okay."

"Okay." Hyde repeated, "Not great."

"But not bad either, Steven…" Jackie reached out to hold his hand, "I know you're worried."

Hyde leaned down and kissed Jackie softly on the mouth, "I don't think I can lose you again." He confessed.

"And you won't." Jackie promised him, her forehead touching his, "I'm not going anywhere."

The two kissed again right as a team of nurses and orderlies came marching in the room.

"It's time for you to go, Mr. Hyde." One of the nurses said cheerfully, "You can come back in the morning."

Hyde glared at the nurse for taking away his precious time with Jackie, but he knew it was for the best. "I'll see you in the morning." He said as the nurse ushered him out of the door.

"Bye, Steven!" Jackie called.

* * *

Hyde walked out of Jackie's room and instantly spotted Donna, Fez and Kelso sitting in the waiting room. He walked over and sat in one of the empty chairs across from them.

"They kicked me out."

"We noticed." Donna said. "Sucks for you, you got what, five minutes?"

"Less than." Hyde glared, looking back at Jackie's room. "You'd think they'd give her some peace."

"Hyde, my friend, if you want peace, you're not going to find it here." Fez said.

Hyde ignored his foreign friend and turned to Donna, "So what'd you two girls talk about?"

"Nothing that's any of your business." Donna answered.

"So, Eric then, got it." Hyde said with a nod.

Kelso laughed, "They totally talked about Eric, she even made me leave so that they could do it in secret."

"Oh, a secret, eh?" Fez said with a sly grin, "Was it dirty?"

"It wasn't about Eric." Donna said, glaring at the guys.

"Oh, maybe it was about Randy." Fez suggested with a leer.

"Wasn't that the guy you guys tried to replace me with?" Kelso asked.

"No one can replace you." Fez smiled at Kelso.

"Okay, if you two are done flirting, Donna was about to tell us what sultry little secret she told my girlfriend, come on, Donna, tell us and don't leave out any of the details." Hyde said teasingly.

Donna threw her book at Hyde who ducked out of the way. He reached down onto the floor to pick it up and glanced at the cover.

"Aren't these the fairy tales you were reading to Jackie?"

"Yeah, I kind of got hooked on them." Donna admitted, "These guys were sick."

"Yeah," Fez agreed, "But I kind of miss you reading them to us."

Kelso agreed, "Me too."

Fez clapped his hands excitedly, "Oh, you should read one to us now."

Donna shook her head, "Don't you two have something better to do with your time than listen to me read a bunch of children's stories?"

"Not really." Fez said with a shrug. Kelso nodded, "Yeah, what else are we going to do?"

Donna laughed and took the book from Hyde. "Fine," she said, "You staying?" she asked him.

Hyde knew he had nothing better to do, so he nodded, "Yeah, I'll stay."

Donna nodded in understanding and opened the book to the story of the juniper tree.

"_It is now long ago, quite two thousand years, since there was a rich man who had a beautiful and pious wife, and they loved each other dearly. They had, however, no children, though they wished for them very much, and the woman prayed for them day and night, but still they had none." _

Fez and Kelso grinned like little boys. "This is fun!" Kelso said happily.

Hyde just closed his eyes and listened.

"_The mother took the little boy and chopped him in pieces, put him into the pan and made him into black puddings, but the daughter stood by weeping and weeping, and all her tears fell into the pan and there was no need of any salt." _Donna read.

"Ew!" Fez yelled, "That's disgusting."

"Wait…" Kelso said thoughtfully, "What's black pudding, is it like chocolate pudding?"

"No," Donna answered, "It's a kind of sausage."

"They made him into sausage?" Kelso gasped, "I'm never eating sausage again." He swore.

"Will you two shut up?" Hyde asked, "Donna, keep reading."

Donna did as Hyde ordered, and the three guys continued listening to the story. When she got to the end, Kelso and Fez clapped.

"I can't believe the mom died." Kelso said. "And then the father and the two kids just went inside and ate."

"Well, she was evil." Fez pointed out, "She was possessed by the devil. She deserved to be hit in the head with a rock."

"True." Kelso agreed.

Donna looked over at Hyde. "What's wrong?"

Hyde opened his eyes and for the first time in months, he wished he had his sunglasses. "Nothing."

Donna shook her head, knowing that something was clearly bothering her friend. "Come on, Hyde."

"Donna, it's nothing." Hyde tried to persuade her. "That story just made me think about Pam."

"A story about a woman making her own son into sausage and then him turning into a singing blackbird made you think about Pam?" Fez asked, confused.

Both Donna and Hyde ignored him. "I know my dad's tried to get a hold of her, but no one knows where she is."

"Oh I know how you can find her!" Fez informed them.

"How?" Hyde asked.

"Jackie keeps a book with every number of every guy that Pam knows, just get it and call them until you find her."

The other three looked at each other. "Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Donna asked.

"Well, you could ask Jackie." Kelso suggested. "The doctors just left her room."

* * *

"No, absolutely not." Jackie said, crossing her arms. "You're not calling my mom." They had snuck back into Jackie's room to ask if they should call Pam. Her response had not been what they expected.

"Jackie." Hyde tried, "Don't you want to see her?"

"No," Jackie replied, "Those two morons want to see her," she said, pointing to Fez and Kelso. "It's been over six months since I've seen her."

"Six months?" Donna asked, surprised, "She's really been gone that long?"

Jackie shrugged, "Why do you think I moved in with Fez in the first place?"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Hyde asked.

Jackie glared at both him and Donna, "You really want to know?"

Both of them shook their heads quickly. "We're sorry." Donna apologized for both of them.

Jackie waved the apology off. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at my sleazy drunk of a mom for not being here when I needed her, but I'm over it."

Hyde and Donna looked at each other, both knowing that Jackie definitely wasn't over it.

"I thought I told you that you could see Jackie in the morning." The nurse said as she walked in the room. "All of you, out!"

Kelso and Fez ran out of the door, but Donna and Hyde stayed behind. "Our friend just woke up, can't you just…"

"No." The nurse told Donna sternly, "I can't, now get."

Jackie shook her head, "You better go." She informed them. "Steven, come here."

Hyde walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss Jackie. The nurse and Donna looked away as the two made out for a minute.

"I love you." Jackie told him. "I'm not giving up on us." She promised both him and herself. Not! Eric had been right. Life was hard, but you dealt with it. Whatever happened, she wanted to go through it with Steven.

Hyde smiled and kissed Jackie again before standing back up and grinning. He mouthed the words back to her and Jackie giggled.

"Great, you two had your moment, now leave." The nurse commanded.

Hyde shook his head and he and Donna finally left the room.

"I thought you two broke up." Donna asked.

Hyde shook his head, "Guess not."

Donna smiled as the two went to find their friends. She knew that this had to be the calm before the storm; she only hoped they were ready for whatever lied ahead.

* * *

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting tired of the hospital. The next chapter is going to skip a little in time, not too much, but we're never getting to act two in this rate! Slowest moving story ever! 


	9. My Wayward Son

This chapter is Eric centric

The next three chapters are Eric centric. They are crucial and if you've been paying attention, you'll know why. They cover a long stretch of time, from Eric's arrival in Africa, his coming home during the events of Into the Woods and finally his return home for good. Most of all, there's a big chunk of plot in this that will hopefully answer some questions as far as to where the story is going. It doesn't explain everything though, because that would be lame.

This chapter is dedicated to a man named John Milton. Yes, the very one.

Disclaimer: I own Jasmine, Umi and anyone else not recognizable. I don't own anything else though, apart from the plot and even that was stolen by other people, hence the dedication. I freely admit that this story is an ode to Paradise Lost and various other stories twisted by my own wrapped brain. Hopefully I've been able to keep what was left of the character integrity of the show, or even better, repair it while allowing them to grow and evolve, something the show never let them do.

I like hearing what you guys think, so please review. I hope I haven't lost any readers, life just got out of control and I wasn't able to write. But I'm back now and hopefully will be able to update much sooner.

**My Wayward Son. **

The first night in Africa, Eric didn't sleep at all. The combination of nerves, excitement and the sounds of the nightlife that surrounded him made it impossible for Eric to close his eyes for more than twenty seconds at a time. Instead of sleeping, he lay awake on his cot in the small hut that was to be his home for the next year and stared up at the grass and mud ceiling. He let his mind race as he wondered what the next day would be like, if the children would like him, if he'd actually be able to teach them, or if he'd fuck that up just like he fucked up everything else in his life. He wondered what Donna was doing, if she missed him like he missed her. He thought about his parents and hoped his mom was doing alright without her baby boy, if Red was as proud of him as he said he was. He thought about his friends, he wondered if Hyde had gone to Chicago to get Jackie back, and silently wished his best friend good luck. He wondered how Kelso and Fez were doing, but quickly let that thought go, knowing it would only lead to disturbing images of candy, porn and firecrackers. He laughed silently at the mental picture and tried to close his eyes again.

The sound of something outside screeching made Eric shoot up in his bed. He looked around frantically and listened as the screeching grew louder and more persistent. It seemed to be coming closer. Then, without warning, it stopped screeching and instead, the sound became something else, something much more terrifying in Eric's opinion. If he had to describe it, he have to describe it as damn right gleeful. Whatever it was, it was happy.

Eric knew from watching Animal Kingdom that could only mean one thing.

It meant he was going to die.

The first night in Africa, Eric Forman didn't sleep at all.

The next day Eric met his students for the first time. Twenty in all, ranging in age from five to thirteen, all stunningly beautiful with their dark complexions, wide eyes and brilliant white smiles. Eric took one look at his new charges and loved them. These kids were his family now, and he was going to do his best to teach them everything he could. There were no desks in the hut that was the school, so he had the kids sit in a circle on the floor. He sat down next to them and made them go around and tell him their names. Then, realizing that he hadn't made any lesson plans yet, and no one had bothered to tell him what he was supposed to be teaching these kids exactly, he panicked as the kids looked at him with curiosity and apprehension. He could see the looks on the older kid's faces, the one that said, 'great, another idiot.'

Somehow that gave Eric the strength and confidence he needed. He hadn't just come to Africa to gain money for college. He had come to learn how to be a man. So with a small grin, he leaned forward.

"Uh, I'm Eric." He introduced himself, allowing the kids the chance to say "hi Eric" before he carried on. He looked around at them, leaned forward and said, "Once, in a galaxy far, far way…"

A few hours later, he had the kids partnered up in twos as he walked around, instructing them on how to use the Jedi mind trick.

"Remember, it's all in the eyes." He instructed the kids. He heard laughing from the doorway and quickly turned to the giggling woman.

"Uh, hello." He said, suddenly nervous.

"The Jedi Mind trick huh?" The woman asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah, is that a problem?" He asked. The woman quickly shook her head and waved her hands, "Oh no, continue on."

Eric suddenly felt very defiant. "I'll have you know that the Jedi Mind trick is a very important skill to have."

The woman nodded, "I agree, I think it's an important skill, up there with knowing CPR and how to make a radio out of a coconut, but I suppose you are going to teach them things such as English and math right?"

Eric grinned and let a small chuckle out, "Radio out of a coconut?"

"What can I say, I like Gilligan's island."

Eric nodded understandingly. "Well, you never know when you might be stuck on some deserted island right?"

"Exactly." The woman agreed.

Eric smiled again and turned back to the kids. "Okay, that's enough for today."

The kids all groaned, they were having too much fun playing Jedis.

"Now, now kids," the woman spoke, "You'll see Mr…" she looked over at Eric for his name.

"Eric," he offered.

"Mr. Eric," she continued, "Tomorrow, bright and early."

Reluctantly the kids nodded and began to leave the room.

"They like you." She said as the last child left. She walked up to him and held out her hand. "I'm Jasmine." Eric took the time to look at the woman. She was wearing only khakis and a black tank top with an open jacket. Her black hair was long and done in small braids that made Eric want to reach out and touch them. Instead he shook her hand, "Eric, so you really think they like me?"

Jasmine smiled, "Yes."

Eric let out a sigh of relief, "Well I'm glad then." He and Jasmine walked out of the hut together.

"So um, what do you do?"

"I run the supplies." The woman answered, "I bring them from the city once a week."

"Oh, so uh, you don't live here?" Eric found himself slightly disappointed. Even though she wasn't Donna, she was hot and liked Star Wars. Most of all, she was a potential friend, and God knew that aside from the kids, Eric didn't have any friends in Africa. Unless one counted the Hyenas, which Eric did not.

They walked through the village. Jasmine introduced him to everyone he hadn't met the day before, and he found himself relaxing just a bit.

"So uh, you're French?" Eric asked, trying to make conversation. "My dad hates the French."

Jasmine shook her head, "My father is French, but I consider myself Libyan."

"Oh." Eric replied, not knowing what else to say. "So um, is it always scary at night, because I gotta tell you, I don't think I've ever been more freaked out in my life, and that's saying a lot."

"You get used to it." Jasmine told him, "I bet you that after awhile it'll be comforting."

Eric looked over at the tall woman skeptically, "Comforting? How can Hyena's laughing in the middle of the night be comforting?"

Jasmine laughed, "At least with the Hyena's you know they're coming. It's the ones who make no sound at all that you need to be wary of." She continued walking but Eric, shocked to the core stood still until she turned around. "You coming?" Eric composed himself and hurried up to Jasmine, "The silent ones?"

Jasmine put a hand on Eric's shoulder, "I'm teasing." Eric could tell though that her words had a truth to them.

"Uh, right." Eric agreed. "You got me."

When he had arrived, it had been getting dark already and there hadn't been enough time to look around. Now, in the day time, accompanied by Jasmine, he allowed himself the time to take in the landscape. The village was situated near the banks of a running river. Women and the older children carried water from the river to the village, while some of the men attended cattle and other farm animals. He noticed a group of men go into the jungle nearby with spears, hunters, he guessed. There were people everywhere, each doing something. No one, not even his new students were dilly dallying. There were quite few guys from the army, standing silent around the perimeter of the village, but none of them seemed to be interfering with the natives, unless it was to help. What got Eric the most though was that everyone he passed by smiled at him. True, genuine, happy to see you smiles.

Smiles that reminded him of his mother.

Smiles that reminded him of Donna.

A week later he received his first care package from his mom. In it he found a tape, stacks of letters written by Donna, Hyde, Kelso and Fez, a dozen or so packages of Twonkies and other snack foods, and a stack of playboys. He could only assume that Kelso had snuck the lewd magazines into the box while his mom wasn't looking. He laughed and stuck the magazines underneath his cot for future use.

He missed his phone call with Donna the next day due to some of the guys insisting he play poker with them. Not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with guys who could kill him with their bare hands, he eagerly agreed to play. It wasn't until he looked at his watch that he realized he had missed calling her.

"Let me guess, you forgot to call your girl." One of the guys, Wilkes, said casually as he dealt the cards around the table.

Eric looked at him, "How'd you know?"

One of the other guys laughed, "Happens all the time. Life here has a way of making you forget." Eric looked at the name tag on his jacket, Captain Bronte. Eric wanted to make a joke about Wuthering Heights, but refrained. The guy next to him, a bald guy with a tattoo on his arm of a panther named Roberts patted Eric on the back, "Don't listen to them just call your girl tomorrow."

Eric nodded, "Yeah, I'll call her tomorrow."

He didn't call Donna the next day, or the day after that. Instead, he found himself hanging out with Jasmine whenever she was there, with his new poker buddies and helping out in the village when he wasn't teaching. He could feel that being in Africa was changing him, and slowly but surely, he stopped thinking about Donna and home all together.

It was for her own good. At least, that's what Eric told himself after sending Donna a Dear John letter. Donna deserved to live her life, to go to college, to get out of Point Place. She didn't need to sit at home and wait for him. The truth though is ever since he disappeared before their wedding, he hasn't felt like he's known Donna. She was so quick to just forgive him, and at the time he let her but he knew deep down that had been her biggest mistake. And he wasn't about to let her make it again.

The night life still scared him. Lions roar through out the night, the Hyena's call to each other, and the jungle, sounds come from there at all times of the day and they only serve to freak him out, but now he could sleep through it. Maybe it was because he worked hard through the day, maybe it was because he knew the army guys would shoot anything that came near, but whatever the reason, Eric could sleep.

Eric was there for three months, fifteen days and thirty six hours when everything changed. He had been sleeping when the sound of voices woke him up. Jasmine's voice was unmistakable outside his window. Curious, he looked at his watch and saw that it was only four thirty in the morning. He could hear two voices, hers and a male voice that sounded oddly familiar. The words were muffled, but it was clear that she was unhappy. Quietly, Eric snuck out the back door to his hut and peeked around the corner only to see that Jasmine was alone. However, she was throwing her hands in the air, gesturing wildly with them. Suddenly though, she turned around. He quickly ducked behind the corner of his hut but it was too late.

"Eric?" She asked.

Eric knew he should pretend that he hadn't heard her, but decided to let his curiosity lead him. He blushed as he stepped away from the hut.

"I thought I heard voices." He admitted. "Um, was someone here?"

Jasmine looked down, "Oh, uh, no…"

"I could have sworn I heard a male voice." Eric commented lightly.

"You must have been dreaming." Jasmine stated, "It happens to me all the time."

There was something in the tone of Jasmine's voice that made Eric doubt what she was saying. "I don't think so." Eric replied, "I'm pretty sure I heard you and some guy talking, but I come out here, and there's no guy."

"Eric, please, stop." Jasmine begged.

Eric shook his head, "No, I deserve to know what's going on, who are you talking to?"

"You're going to have to tell him eventually." Eric heard the male voice as clear as day, and it sounded like it was coming from behind Jasmine, but the only thing behind Jasmine was a tree. Eric walked passed Jasmine and looked around the tree to see who was hiding behind it, but there was no one.

"Okay, either this tree can talk, or…I've got nothing." Eric gulped.

Jasmine sighed, "We should go inside, please Eric, I promise I will tell you everything I can."

Eric narrowed his gaze on Jasmine and let out a deep breath, "Fine, you first." He gestured towards his hut.

He followed Jasmine inside and crossed his arms impatiently as he waited for her to begin. Jasmine sat on his cot and motioned for him to sit next to her.

"I'll stand, thank you."

Jasmine sighed but didn't push. "Fine, I…I'm not sure where to begin."

"Try the beginning." Eric was in no mood for games.

"The beginning, right." Jasmine said with a frown, "That's a relative term."

"Jasmine, it's a quarter till five, I have to teach tomorrow and I'm really not in the mood for this, so just get on with the explanation, please." Eric snapped.

Jasmine nodded, "What do you know of the war between God and the Angels?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Eric asked.

"Just answer the question." Jasmine snapped.

"Uh, just what I learned in church. God made the angels and then he made man and some of the angels were jealous of man and they revolted and God cast them out of heaven."

"And some of them coupled with humans and from them the Nephilim were born." Jasmine carried on, "And God sent his most trusted angels to earth to rid it of the plague of bastard children, and the war between heaven and hell began. It's been going on for millennia, before your very eyes and yet you do not see."

"What do you mean, your very eyes?" Eric asked.

"I am not like you." Jasmine said with a sigh.

"Right, you're a beautiful African girl and I'm a scrawny nerd from Wisconsin." Eric shook his head.

"No, I mean, I'm not… human."

"I have the sudden need to sit down." Eric said as he quickly sat next to her on the cot.

"The…wait, you're a Nephilim? I thought they were giants, or something." Eric admitted he hadn't paid much attention in church but he always thought giants were pretty cool.

"No," Jasmine answered quickly, "But the blood line still exists; I'm… one of the warriors sent to destroy them."

"So you're…"

"An angel, yes."

Eric nodded as though it made sense, even though it didn't, "Great, I meet a girl and she's crazy. Fine, prove it." he demanded. "Show me your wings."

"I don't have wings, so I can't show them to you, but uh, okay hold on." Jasmine stood up and removed her jacket and tank top. Eric gulped at the sight of a very beautiful half naked woman in front of him, but stopped when he saw the golden tattoo in the middle of her chest. Eric stood up and walked towards her to get a better look. It was a round circle with lettering inside it. Unfortunately, he couldn't read it.

"A tattoo is supposed to prove to me that you're an angel?" Eric asked in disbelief.

"Touch it." Jasmine said, grasping Eric's hand. She brought it to her chest and instantly Eric was filled with a sense of euphoria and joy. More than that, he could feel strength and a sense of duty coming from the mark.

"You sure you don't have wings?" Eric asked as he stepped back from her. He looked down at his fingers and saw they were red. "Damn, it burned me." It was only slight, as though he had just touched a hot pan, but it was still shocking none the less. He went to his duffle bag and pulled out a small container of burn cream. He put some on as he waited for Jasmine to continue her story.

"When he sent us, he made sure we would blend in. Our wings were cut out of us, we were made to look more human, but he marked us, so that we would be able to spot each other, and so he could reach us."

"That sounds awful, I can't believe…well I can't believe any of this really."

"It was painless," She replied, "I figured you would be freaked out about God really existing."

"Oh, I am." Eric nodded, "What does he look like?"

"Like Eric Clapton." Jasmine smiled.

"I knew it!" Eric exclaimed before realizing that Jasmine was teasing him. "So you can read my mind?"

"No, we talked about it remember?" Jasmine said, "Which brings me to the next part of my story."

Eric nodded.

"God sent ten of us, but now only three remain. Unfortunately I don't know where the other two are."

"The fallen angels?" Eric guessed as to who had killed Jasmine's brethren.

"Them, their followers, the Nephilim, yes." Jasmine said with a sigh, "We were scattered amongst the earth, I was sent here. I don't know how I know the others died, I just did. I've never told anyone what I am until you."

"Why tell me?" Eric asked.

"Because you need to know." Jasmine said with a grimace, "Your friend Jackie is in trouble."

Eric wanted to scoff and say that Jackie wasn't his friend, but he stopped himself when he saw the look on Jasmine's face. "Why, what happened?"

"I'm sure your friends will call you soon to tell you, but she's in great danger and well, you're the only person who can help her."

"I don't understand." Eric said, shaking his head. "Why can't someone else help her? Hyde or my mom or Donna… anyone. Jackie and I aren't the best of friends."

Jasmine sighed and sat down next to Eric. "Let me show you."

Suddenly, Eric was in the woods of Wisconsin, watching Jackie follow Hyde.

"This is just a memory." Jasmine quickly explained, "You can't change anything, nor can they hear you."

Eric nodded, but he walked closer to his friends none the less. It was clear that Hyde was drunk from the way he was walking and slurring his words. He and Jackie were arguing and Jackie was complaining. Eric shook his head, typical Jackie.

Then he saw the creek and the log they were about to cross. "Oh no." He watched Hyde cross it without any trouble.

"I can't cross that." Jackie whined.

"Jackie, come on!" Hyde said tiredly. "Just cross it like you do everything else, real bitchy like."

Eric watched as Jackie decided to ignore the insult. "Steven, I'm not wearing the right shoes, I'll slip."

Hyde sighed and walked back onto the log. "Take my hand."

Jackie slowly stepped onto the fallen tree. "I'm not touching your disgusting hand."

"Jackie, just take my freaking hand!" Hyde yelled. He reached over to grab her….

Eric watched in horror as Jackie slipped off the tree. Then, he watched as his best friend shrugged and walked away.

"No… that can't… no." Eric shook his head, "That couldn't have happened!"

Jasmine only shook her head sadly, "I'm afraid…" Eric didn't listen though, he just followed Jackie down the creek.

"You can't help her!" Jasmine yelled. Eric knew that, but he needed to know what happened. He watched as her body was beaten across the rocks, as the water turned red from her blood. She washed up face first into a muddy bank.

"Angels are supposed to help people right?" Eric asked Jasmine frantically, "So why didn't one of you come help her!"

"It's not that simple." Jasmine sighed as the two of them leaned over Jackie's unconscious body.

"I just watched my best friend kill the girl he loves and you're telling me it's not that simple?" Eric asked, enraged.

"He didn't kill her." Jasmine argued.

"Really? Because that's not how it looked to me!" Eric yelled. "I don't give a damn if he's drunk, you don't just shrug when someone falls into a rushing creek, even if that person is Jackie." Eric wanted to cry. "I heard him laugh."

Jasmine shook her head, "He didn't know."

Eric glared, "No, he knew." Deep down, Eric knew it to be true in his heart. "Some how, he knew. I knew they broke up, but fuck, this…" Eric felt more lost than he ever had before. Then he heard Donna and some guy yelling for Jackie. Jasmine put her hand on Eric's shoulder.

"We have to go." She said softly.

Eric wanted to watch, to know what was going to happen, but he let Jasmine take him back to the hut.

"Tell me." Eric demanded once they were back.

"They found her; she's in a coma right now." Jasmine explained. "Her body is in a coma her soul though is in purgatory… which brings me to who I was talking to."

"So you were talking to someone." Eric sighed. "Who?"

Jasmine shrugged, "He doesn't have a name."

"He doesn't have a name?" Eric shook his head, "Why wouldn't he have a name?"

Jasmine sighed, "He had one, once, but it's been forgotten. He's the guide."

"The guide?"

Jasmine nodded, "When souls are in transition, they go to him. He helps them find their way. Right now, he's helping Jackie. He just came to tell me."

Eric looked down at a bug crawling on the floor. "Why did you tell me?"

Jasmine closed her eyes. "Because Eric, you're him."

There were so many things wrong with this scenario that Eric didn't know where to begin. He had come to Africa to learn how to teach and to become a man, not to become an invisible, nameless entity known as 'the guide.' It was preposterous.

"Would you like me explain?" Jasmine asked quietly.

Eric just nodded. "How the hell can I be him when I'm me?"

"The Guide doesn't exist in the context of your time. He's ageless. You're going to be him, if that makes any sense."

"It doesn't." Eric stated.

"Okay, it's like this. Earth has about time. You think you made them up but they were always there. Minutes, hours, days, weeks, years…even I can't mess with these rules, but the Guide can, because he doesn't exist on this plane."

"So…"

"So Jackie can be two places at once." Jasmine finished for him. "He knows everything, past, present, future. Or rather, futures."

"So let me get this straight," Eric said, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, "All the stuff I learned in church was true, there's a battle of good versus evil going on, my friend is in purgatory, you're some warrior angel and I'm going to be someone who helps dead people?"

"Something like that." Jasmine said with a small smile.

Eric shook his head, "This is unbelievable, I'm going to pretend I'm dreaming and you're going to leave so I can get some sleep."

Jasmine nodded, "I'll go, but you can't pretend this never happened, not now. And you can't tell anyone."

Eric looked at Jasmine who was now standing by the door. "Believe me, I'm not going to tell anyone."

Eric didn't see Jasmine for another week. He was glad that she was gone though, because the more he thought about it, the more he freaked out. There were so many questions though that he needed to be answered, so as the week dredged on, the more he anticipated her arrival. In the meantime he occupied himself with the kids. For the first time in his life, he was respected. It actually kind of freaked him out.

The next time he saw Jasmine, she was helping unload her jeep. He walked up to her the moment she was alone.

"Tell me everything." He demanded.

Jasmine shot Eric a glance and nodded. "Let me finish unloading and I'm all yours."

Eric helped Jasmine unload the truck and when they were finally done passing out the supplies, Jasmine gave him a nod indicating that he should follow her. They walked towards the jungle.

"Hell no, I'm not going in there." Eric stated.

"It's safe." Jasmine said, grabbing onto Eric's hand, "I'll protect you from the nasty crickets." She grinned.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Eric complained as Jasmine dragged Eric into the canopy.

If Eric thought the sounds of the jungle were unnerving before, nothing compared to actually being inside it. all of his senses were being invaded. The sounds of the animals and the wind against the leaves of the trees, the smell of the jungle perfume, the sight of things rustling about, the touch of the plant life against his skin. If it weren't for the fact that he was freaking out, he would have thought it was kind of cool.

"We're here." Jasmine stopped.

Eric walked up beside her and looked at the small hut that resided in a small clearing.

"What the hell?" Eric asked.

"I'm taking you to see the Shaman." Jasmine said, "She will help you understand."

"I thought you were going to help me understand." Eric glared.

"I am." Jasmine said, "By bringing you here. Look, I only know my part in this, and that's to protect you."

"I feel so special." Eric said sarcastically.

Jasmine threw up her arms, "You don't get it, do you? I'm fighting a war that can't be won, I have no idea where my brothers are, I've been stuck on this stupid planet for so long that I'm really beginning to think Satan had the right idea all along about the lot of you, especially after watching what happened to your friend Jackie, so I need you to prove to me that all hope is not lost!"

Eric felt ashamed. "I'm sorry."

Jasmine shook her head and wiped the tears from her face, "Look, if it helps, you don't have to become The Guide today, or even next year. It's who you're going to be though, and you can't run away from it."

"Oddly enough I'm not really freaked out about that part so much." Eric said. Truth was it freaked him out to know what was going to happen to him.

"So you'll go in?" Jasmine asked, gesturing to the hut.

Eric sighed. "Yeah, I'll go." He gathered his courage and before he could knock on the door, it opened.

The shaman was a short frail woman with long grey hair done in the same braids as Jasmine. She was tapping her foot impatiently. "I've been listening to you two bicker like an old married couple for an hour now. I'm too old to be kept waiting." She said it in perfect English.

"You're the shaman?" Eric asked, shocked.

The woman rolled her eyes and looked behind Eric to Jasmine. "This? This is the best you can do?"

Eric didn't see Jasmine shrug.

The woman shook her head, "We've got our work cut out for us, don't we boy?" She grabbed Eric's arm and pulled him inside, shutting the door quickly behind her.

"Sit." She ordered, gesturing to the floor.

Eric quickly sat down Indian style on the floor. He looked around the room. There was a small bed in the corner, a fire place and a desk with a notebook and a copy of James Joyce's Ulysses on top. In the corner was a guitar.

"You play?" Eric asked, gesturing to the instrument.

"Why, want to hear Free Bird?" The old woman asked, "Yes, I play. Not much else to do around here."

"Uh, so um, why haven't I seen you around in the village, are you uh, banned or something?"

The woman laughed as she sat down across from Eric, "No, I just prefer to keep to myself. My family knows where I am."

Eric nodded, but didn't know what to say.

"You think you're crazy." The woman stated after a minute.

Eric nodded, "I think I'm probably in the sickbed, dying of fever or something."

"It's easier for you, to think that then it is to accept that you're really special." She said.

"That's because I'm not special, ask my dad."

"Your father does not know all there is to know about you." She argued.

Eric shook his head and said nothing. He could tell it was no use arguing with her.

"Why did you come here?" she asked.

"To be a teacher." Eric answered, knowing that the shaman was asking why Eric had come to Africa.

"That's not why you came." She disagreed.

Eric sighed, "I came because I wanted out of Point Place, and I wanted to get away from my mom and my dad and my life… I wanted to be able to grow up and make my own decisions. I wanted to; I guess I came here to become a man."

"And now you've learned what kind of man you're going to be." The shaman said with a nod.

"Actually, all I've learned is that somehow I'm going to be an invisible guide who works in Purgatory and something about messing with time. I'm not sure I really followed Jasmine when she explained that part."

The shaman laughed and shook her head, "Is that what the Malaika told you?"

"Yeah." Eric frowned. What was a Malaika, he wondered, but didn't ask. He just assumed she meant Jasmine.

"You'll become him when you are ready to become him, and not a second before or after." The woman said. For some reason, it quickly dissuaded some of Eric's fears. She put one of her frail hands on top of Eric's. "Chinelo, you are the protector."

Eric shook his head, "I am no protector. Look at me."

The woman smiled kindly and squeezed Eric's hand, "Chinelo, listen to me. You might not be the strongest or the bravest, but there's going to be a time when you're needed and you will do what needs to be done, because that is who you are. You are Chinelo."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means thought of God." The woman said as though that explained everything.

"I don't even know if I believe in God." Eric replied. "I mean, only go to church because my mom makes me, and even then I rarely listen."

"That is irrelevant." The woman said with a flick of her wrist. "Church has nothing to do with the spirit, and you have it. You are it."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure I'm not." Eric argued.

She slapped his hand.

"Ow!" Eric yelled. He rubbed his throbbing hand.

"That was for your insolence." The woman explained.

Eric nodded and continued to rub his sore hand. "You hit hard for an old woman."

She laughed, "You're only saying that because you're a wimp."

Eric laughed too, "Yeah a wimp."

"And yet, you're here." She smiled.

Eric nodded and then frowned, "Uh, it just occurred to me that I don't know your name or anything about you."

She rolled her eyes. "I am Umi, I studied literature at Oxford, I have two grandchildren, I am widowed and I have two grandchildren who are in your class."

"Nice to meet you, Umi." Eric repeated, "I'm Eric, I have a sister and an adopted brother, I recently broke up with my girlfriend and I'm pretty sure I'm in love with a Millennium old year old angel who would probably beat me to death if she knew." It felt good to get that off his chest.

"You are Chinelo." The woman said with a nod that said not to argue with her.

Eric sighed, "Fine, Chinelo it is." He was just glad she didn't press the issue about his feelings for Jasmine.

Umi smiled, "Are we done with the idle pleasantries?"

Eric gulped, "I guess."

Umi narrowed her eyes at Eric, "What worries you?"

Eric didn't have to think about it. He quickly answered Umi's question. "They haven't called me yet, but I know they will, because… I think I'm the only person that can talk to Hyde." He looked at Umi for confirmation, "Right?"

Umi kept her face blank and Eric sighed. "Yeah, I'm like his conscience or something. I know they must think that none of this would have happened if I hadn't left, so I guess in a way it's my fault that Jackie's in a coma."

"You feel hate for the girl." Umi said matter-of-factly.

Eric shrugged, "I honestly don't know how I feel about Jackie. I mean, she's not my favorite person in the world, but she made my best friend happy, and she means well, I guess. She's just really annoying, but I'd never want her to die or anything. When Jasmine showed me the vision of her drowning, I felt angry that I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Eric sighed, "Tell me about this war."

Umi sighed and shook her head, "We are not supposed to be involved."

"You mean humans?" Eric guessed.

Umi nodded. "That's precisely what I mean, and yet… it was the Nephilim's fault."

"Why?"

"They didn't know what they were. Were they human or were they divine? Only they were shunned by both."

"Must have been rough."

"It was." Umi shrugged, "Or so I've heard. I don't know everything, but I do know that Jackie and Steven are important and it's important that you help them, you're the only one."

"I'm their only hope?" Eric asked, feeling like Obi Wan Kenobi.

Umi laughed, "Yes Obi, you are."

Eric grinned. "This really doesn't make me feel any better."

Umi gave a pained smile, "I wouldn't expect it to. You have a dangerous path ahead of you, Chinelo, but the Malaika will help you, and so will I. But don't come every day, because then I'd have to kill you."

"Uh, okay." Eric said a little frightened of the bit of a woman sitting across from him.

"You can only do what needs to be done; nothing more or less is expected of you."

Umi's statement reminded Eric of what Jasmine had told him about becoming the Guide. It wouldn't happen a second before or after he was ready.

"What is it?" Umi asked with a bit of impatience.

"I can't tell anyone about this, can I?"

"It's probably best if you didn't. The Malaika has her own job, and even though it affects you, there's nothing you can do about it until the time comes.

"And not a second before or after, right?" Eric asked.

Umi gave Eric a crooked smile, "You're smarter than you look."

Eric's mind was racing as Umi continued telling Eric what was expected of him. As much as he wanted to deny it though, he knew in the pit of his belly that this was no joke. While she never came out and said it, it appeared that it was imperative that Jackie stay alive and that Hyde realize his mistake before it was too late. She didn't explain about the guide thing, and truthfully Eric was grateful. Finally she stood up and walked to her desk. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out a small book. She handed it to Eric.

"This is my gift to you."

Eric looked down at the cover. It was a small but worn copy of The Greek Myths by Robert Graves. "You're giving me a book on Greek mythology?" he asked, confused as to its relevance.

Umi nodded. "I am."

Eric nodded and stood up from the floor. "Thanks, I guess."

Umi smiled, "You'll be back." She answered Eric's unasked question.

Eric gave her and understanding and grateful smile and straightened his shoulders as he opened the door. He knew what he needed to do.

He was going home.

More Author Notes:

For those interested, the names Umi uses were taken from Malaika means angel. Umi's name means servant and Chinelo means thought of God.

Who knew huh? I bet some of you guessed that Eric and Not! Eric/V/The Guide were one in the same. On a personal note, I loved writing this chapter. I know this story and the character development in it were probably not what the creators and writers of That 70's show intended, but what do they know? They thought a stripper was a good idea. Idiots, every last one of them.

You know what to do.


	10. Bound by Fate

Eric clutched his bag in one hand and Jasmine's in the other as he weaved through the crowded airport

I'm so sorry about not getting this out sooner. I just haven't been in a writing mood lately.

I don't own That 70's Show, or any sort of religious literature that might be referenced in this tale. It's a tribute, nothing more, nothing less.

**Bound by Fate  
**

Eric clutched his bag in one hand and Jasmine's in the other as he weaved through the crowded airport. He had told his mother that he would catch a cab and head straight for the hospital. He knew his palms were sweating and he clutched the bag in his hand to keep it from slipping out of his grasp. Finally, he found the doors to the cab area and pulled Jasmine along to the curb. She raised an eyebrow at him as he gestured for one of the cabs to come.

"You have cash on you?" she asked.

"Yep." He had been speaking in short sentences all day.

As soon as the cab pulled up and the driver hopped out to help them with their luggage, he opened the back door for Jasmine.

"Come on."

They got into the cab and Eric informed the cabbie of their destination. The man gave a short nod, said alright and then started to drive out of the lot. It wasn't until they were on the highway that Eric sat back and began to relax.

Jasmine took his hand and squeezed it lightly. Eric gave her a crooked grin in appreciation of her support.

"Uh, I need to talk to you about something." He said after awhile.

"Okay." Jasmine replied.

Eric took a deep breath, "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." Jasmine said, and Eric knew that she meant it.

"I need you to be my fiancé." Eric blurted out.

The cabbie laughed. "That's no way to propose to a girl, especially not one as pretty as her."

They both ignored him. "Why?" Jasmine asked.

Eric sighed, "Because I need an excuse…and I don't think I can't be with you because I'm supposed to be training how to be some bad ass protector whose going to someday save your life is going to fly over too well with her."

Jasmine was silent for a moment but eventually nodded her consent. "If that's what you need."

Eric nodded, "So uh, I was thinking that we could tell them I proposed to you on the plane."

Jasmine winced, "The plane? Who does that?"

"I would, I'm that guy!" It was sad, but was the truth.

Jasmine shook her head, "Are you sure they're going to buy this?"

Eric stopped himself from laughing, "That I'd be able to score a hot girl like you? Oh they'll believe me."

Eric looked out of the window and saw the hospital looming ahead. He turned back to Jasmine, "And could you please not tell them about the cricket?"

Jasmine only laughed in response as the cab stopped at the hospital's curb. "I make no promises."

They walked into the hospital. It was late and hardly anyone was there. Jasmine gave Eric a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna use the restroom, I'll find you." Eric nodded and walked up to the nurses' station.

"We're here to see Jackie Burkhart."

"Eric?" He turned as he heard Donna's voice behind him

"Donna?" He squeaked. He wasn't ready for this, especially after looking at her. Her hair was back to its normal red, but she looked defeated, which made him want to hold her. She walked to him and he said the first thing that popped into his head.

"Your hair!" He pointed to her red tresses and laughed.

"You're… tan!" Eric wanted to laugh at the awkwardness. Instead he turned around to see if Jasmine was on her way. He needed her for her support.

"Waiting on someone?" Donna asked.

"Oh yeah." Eric said, trying to be as flippant as possible. "Uh, so… where is…"

Donna gestured towards Jackie's room. "She's still in surgery though."

"Surgery?" Eric asked surprised. "What for?" oh god, was he too late?

Donna shrugged. "I'm not really sure to be honest with you." Eric looked behind his shoulder again. Where was she?

Knowing that he needed to tell Donna about Jasmine before she came, he turned back to her. "Donna… there's something you need to know." She wasn't paying him any attention as they walked to Jackie's room.

"Look what I found." Donna interrupted Eric mid speech as she opened the door to Jackie's ICU room.

The next thing Eric knew, he was being hugged by his mother and Fez. He had to admit that he had missed both of them, especially his mom. As he awkwardly patted Fez on the back he heard Jasmine's voice.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Fez instantly let go of Eric and Eric took the opportunity to walk over to her. He glanced at Donna who was staring unabashedly at her. Eric clutched Jasmine's hand.

"Everyone, this is Jasmine, my fiancé."

He watched as Jasmine greeted the gang with her usual exuberance. Truthfully after he had found out what she really was, he had been afraid that he didn't know who she was anymore, but the fears had been quickly dissuaded. She was still the same girl he had grown close to his first three months in Africa. He let his mind wander for a minute until he heard his father speak to him.

"She's French?" Red was glaring at him and he couldn't help but wince. He should have realized that was going to be an issue.

"Libyan." Jasmine corrected. "I was born and raised in Libya, but if it makes you feel better, my father fought for the Free French in the war."

Red stared Eric's new fiancé down. "You don't take crap from no one do you?"

"No sir."

"And you're polite." Red nodded. "Eric, I like her."

Eric smiled widely and put his arm around his closest ally. He kissed the top of her head and whispered thank you in her ear before turning to Hyde. He didn't know what to say to him. He looked; well bad didn't really cover it.

"So, when do I get to meet Mrs. Hyde?" Eric asked teasingly. Underneath the teasing was the real question, who are you and what have you done with my friend?

Soon, it was almost like he hadn't left. The gang informed Eric of their latest hijinx and he had to admit he felt a little jealous. They were stealing clowns while he was getting lectured by seventy year old shaman women and teaching children the difference between adverbs and verbs. Then Jasmine did the unexpected and asked about Jackie. Eric wondered what Jasmine's plan was, but said nothing. He had noticed the tension between Donna and Hyde and didn't know if this was the best time to bring up the elephant in the room.

"_You're saying I'm an elephant?"_ Eric could hear Jackie's shrill voice in his head and made a mental apology to the girl in a coma.

Then Hyde declared that Jackie was perfect and Eric could only close his eyes and wait for the explosion.

"So perfect that you had to kill her?" Donna said, slowly rising from her chair. Eric did the only thing he could think of and tried to grab her hand to calm her down, but she pulled away. Eric winced inwardly, he should have known better. Instead, all he could do was watch as they fought.

"She was dead and all you could do was laugh!" Eric recalled the vision of Hyde laughing as Jackie fell into the creek. Damn, had he done it that whole night?

Hyde stood up and yelled in Donna's face. "I didn't know!" "I thought she had gone home without us!" So that answered that question. No, it didn't answer anything. Eric shook his head.

"Like that matters!" Donna screamed. The rest of the gang could only watch as the two most important people in Jackie's life squared off.

"You really want to blame me?" Hyde asked. "You knew how drunk I was, and yet all you could think about was being alone with Randy!"

"Randy?" Eric asked, pretty sure he already knew.

"Boyfriend." Fez answered.

"Ex boyfriend." Donna quipped, not taking her eyes off of Hyde.

"It's your fault she fell in as much as it is mine." Hyde accused.

Donna nodded. "You're right." She agreed. "We all did this." Eric felt the brunt of what she was saying.

"So what do we do?" he heard Kelso ask.

"How about you guys start at the beginning." Eric requested.

Fez nodded. "It was a dark and stormy night…" The group all listened as Fez and Donna told their sides of the night in question. No one took their eyes off of Jackie as the vision of her cascading down the creek, body slamming against the rocks as the current swept her downstream engulfed them all. They were lucky she was even alive.

"So tell us what you've been doing in Africa." Hyde said, changing the subject for the sake of everyone's sanity. Eric had never been more grateful in his life. Soon he and Jasmine were telling the group about his time in Africa, the kids, the unbearable heat, the scary animals, everything except what truly mattered. Umi, Jasmine not being human, what he was really doing in Africa.

"And he was all 'get it off, get it off!" Jasmine waved her hands in the air and did her best Eric impersonation. Everyone except Eric and Donna laughed.

"It was huge!" Eric said defensively.

"It was a cricket!" Jasmine teased. "Anyway, I rescued him from the big bad cricket." The two of them looked at each other lovingly. Eric laughed inside; he was a better actor than he thought.

Soon enough, a nurse poked her head inside the room and informed them that visiting hours were over and they needed to leave. Eric wasn't surprised they ended up in the basement. There wasn't a lot of places to sit, but Eric didn't care. He was home.

Except home didn't really feel like home anymore. It was missing something.

It was missing someone.

"So, you're a teacher?" Fez asked.

Jasmine shook her head. "No, I'm not allowed near children, I have a tendency of letting them misbehave." She grinned wickedly. "I run the supplies to all the different camps."

"Supplies?" Fez queried.

"Food, bandages, books, bottled water, pornography, all the necessities." Jasmine answered with a devilish grin.

"How did he propose?" Donna asked.

"Donna." Eric stated warningly. She didn't need to hear this; he didn't need to hear this, even if it had been his idea.

"No, I want to know." Donna told him. "Tell us all about it."

Jasmine and Eric looked at each other in silent conversation. He could tell that Jasmine didn't want to lie, but he begged with his eyes, just this once.

"He proposed to me on the plane ride here." Jasmine answered after a minute.

"On the plane?" Hyde finally spoke for the first time since they had left the hospital. "Harsh man."

"I was going to do it next week, on Jasmine's birthday." Eric replied. "But we got the call about Jackie and Jasmine offered to come with me and it just felt right." He grinned widely, "And, I got a sign on the plane."

"A sign?" Fez asked.

"Oh yes, tell them what the sign was." Jasmine laughed.

"The in flight movie was Star Wars."

Everyone except Eric and Jasmine groaned.

"Damn Forman." Kelso said.

Jasmine was smiling widely at Eric. Hyde shook his head at both of them.

"You encourage this?" Hyde asked her. Jasmine nodded in response.

"It's only the best movie ever made." Jasmine replied matter of fact.

Eric knew he was going to have to talk to Donna alone soon. He hadn't wanted to come back so soon, under such dire circumstances and just add onto the misery that she was already feeling over Jackie. It was a shitty thing for him to do, as both an ex boyfriend and a friend, because there was no question in his mind that he was still head over heals in love with Donna and she was being fooled into believing that he had moved on. She deserved an explanation.

After Kelso had left for the night and Jasmine whispered in his ear that she was going to go upstairs to talk with his parents, Hyde, Donna and himself were alone until Donna announced that she was going to go home for the night and that she would see everyone at the hospital in the morning, Eric knew this was probably his only opportunity to talk to Donna.

"I'll walk you home." Eric told her as both of them stood up.

"I think I can manage walking six feet." Donna glared at him.

"They say that most accidents occur six feet away from the home." Eric quipped.

Donna sighed. "Fine," She turned to Hyde with her hand on the doorknob. "Hyde?"

Hyde looked up at her. "Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry for what I said before."

Hyde stared at Donna for a moment. "We'll talk in the morning."

Donna nodded her agreement. The three of them knew that Hyde was accepting her gesture of peace.

Eric and Donna walked out of the basement and up the stairs and towards her house.

"It's a nice night." Donna stated.

Eric wasn't paying attention to the sky up above. He only had eyes for the red head next to him.

"What are you thinking?" Eric asked.

Donna blinked back her tears. "That I wish Jackie were here."

Eric nodded. "I bet."

Donna looked over at Eric. "You're going to talk to him right?"

Eric sighed. "To Hyde, yeah, he's next on the list."

He heard Donna laugh, but knew she didn't mean it. "Donna, I'm so sorry." Eric said. "For Jackie, for Hyde, for making you find out about Jasmine this way, I just want you know that when I broke up with you it wasn't because of her, I didn't even know her when that happened, I just, we were drifting apart, even before I left, you said it yourself remember?" It was a lie, a terrible, awful lie that he knew he would be punishing himself over for years to come.

"I remember." Donna replied curtly. "It doesn't make it hurt less though."

Eric nodded. "I know."

Donna stood up from the table after she finished her beer. "Go talk to Hyde."

Eric stood up and walked to the door and opened it before turning around to Donna who was standing in the doorway from the kitchen to the living room.

"She's going to be okay." Eric said, sounding positive. "She's the toughest of all of us, if anyone can make it, it's her."

Donna didn't reply, nor did she need to.

"I see you're listening to country music again." Hyde looked up to see Eric had returned.

"Hey, Forman." Hyde said. "How did it go with Donna?"

Eric sat down next to Hyde. "It went."

"What's your secret man? How do you get all the hot chicks?"

Eric laughed. "Not all of them."

"True enough." Hyde responded. "There's definitely one that you could never get."

"Speaking of Jackie, you wanna talk about it?"

Hyde looked at Eric. "Is this one of those times when you ask me if I want to talk about something like I have a choice but you drag it out of me anyway?"

"Possibly." Eric smiled.

Hyde sighed to himself and then shrugged his shoulders. "After you left for Africa, I decided to go see Jackie in Chicago."

An hour later, Hyde had given Eric the abridged version of events that had transpired after his departure from Point Place. Part of Hyde felt better, as though he had unleashed a terrible burden that he had been carrying for years, but the other part knew that the only way his burden would truly be uplifted was if he were granted a reprieve.

Which brought him back to the question, how do you gain forgiveness from someone unable to forgive?

"Hey, I got a question for you." Hyde said after a moment. "If you had been here when Sam had shown up, what would you have done?"

Eric thought about it for a minute. "I don't it matters what I would have done, the question is, do you think you did the right thing?"

"Staying with Sam?" Hyde clarified.

"Yeah."

Hyde shrugged. "I thought I did, but now, you know I've barely even thought about Sam since she left for Cincinnati? Hell, I haven't even thought about her at all since…"

"Since the love of your life drowned because of your drunken negligence." Eric finished for him.

Eric smiled as they listened to the song in the background. "I think it's time you do what Johnny says and walk the line." With that he patted Hyde on the back and walked upstairs, leaving Hyde alone with Johnny, George and Hank. He wasn't sure if he had done his job, but at least Hyde had made the first step.

Eric and Jasmine sat in a forest somewhere in Wisconsin, staring at the fire Jasmine had made with a wave of her hand. He had told everyone that they were going to Kenosha, but the reality was Jasmine had insisted the night before that they needed to go somewhere secluded.

"Shouldn't I be here?" He asked. "It's going to look bad when I tell them that I can't be there for my friends because I want to show my fiancé the city. They're going to think I'm a dillhole."

Jasmine walked over to Eric and took his chin into her hand, forcing him to look into her eyes. "You have done all you can."

"I haven't done anything! And what about Jackie huh? You saw her right?"

"I saw." Jasmine replied. "But what happens to Jackie now is up to her."

Eric turned away and stared out of the hotel window. "Where is she?"

Jasmine sat on the bed behind Eric. "In the place of in between."

"Purgatory." Eric supplied. "You know I tried reading Dante once, but I couldn't get through it."

"You should try again." Jasmine suggested. "I found it to be very helpful."

Something about that made Eric laugh. "So where are we going?"

Jasmine stood up and took Eric's hand. "You'll see."

Eric threw a twig into the fire. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing."

"You're supposed to be sitting." Jasmine answered. "And not talking."

"I can't help it." Eric whined. "I'm tired, I'm cold, I'm worried."

"What are you worried about?"

Eric stared at Jasmine. "You really need me to answer that?" he asked incredulously.

She shrugged. "Worrying will get you nowhere. Besides it's no use worrying about what is when you should be worrying about what's to be."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. What's going to happen?"

"And the sky turned black as fire rained down from the heavens and the earth began to quake. Mountains crumbled, rivers flooded and there was no escape." Jasmine answered. "In short, complete and total chaos."

"Really?" Eric knew right then that he was way in over his head.

"Well, no. At least not for you and your friends, but if you don't succeed, then it will."

Nothing Jasmine said made Eric feel better. He sighed heavily as Jasmine's words seeped into his soul. Never mind that he didn't know what it was he was supposed to do, but what if he wasn't able to do it? He could practically see the destruction that would follow.

"I think you might have chosen the wrong guy." He said, almost pleadingly.

Jasmine seemed to see right through him. "You don't know how valuable you are, do you?"

Eric looked up, confused by Jasmine's question. "What?"

"You are…you are glue."

"Glue?"

She nodded. "Yes, glue. You held your friends together. Without you, they fell apart."

"So what?" Eric said, upset. "And if I go back everyone will be magically mended again. I thought you said I couldn't stay."

"I keep telling you, now is not important."

Eric jumped up, infuriated. "Yes, yes it is! I don't know if you noticed this or not, but one of my friends is in a coma, my best friend and my ex girlfriend are practically comatose with guilt, and you're telling me that it doesn't matter? It's like you already know how this is going to end. So what, Jackie will wake up and that will be it? She'll forgive Hyde and…" Eric stopped mid sentence and faced Jasmine. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To find something." It was all h could tell her as he turned to venture deeper into the woods.

The truth was he wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for. It was though an invisible force was pushing him further and further into the darkness, but the moment he saw the lone tombstone he knew that he had found what he was looking for.

"Alright, Forman; time to be a man and dig yourself up a grave." He said to himself as he walked closer to the grave.

"You need a shovel?" Jasmine asked from behind him.

"You followed me?" Eric asked angrily.

"I got worried about you when you didn't return after an hour." Jasmine explained. Eric hadn't realized he had been gone for that long. Suddenly his anger shifted into gratitude.

"Yeah, I could use a shovel." Eric admitted. Jasmine handed him the tool and took the torch from his hand.

"I'll hold this, you dig."

Eric nodded and began digging. "We're never telling anyone about this, got it?"

"Tell them what?" Jasmine asked nicely. "That I brought you to the middle of no where Wisconsin so that you could dig up a grave of one of my brethren?"

Eric stopped mid dig and turned to Jasmine. "You mean an Angel is buried here?"

"Fallen, if you want to be technical." Jasmine replied flippantly. "But don't worry; he's nothing more than bone now."

"Yeah, well, I saw that movie, and if something happens and he comes back…"

"He won't." Jasmine promised. "Now start digging. It's almost morning."

Eric finally touched the casket as the sun came up.

"Hurry." Jasmine ordered.

Eric threw the shovel to the side and jumped into the hole. "Why, are you worried we're going to get caught?"

"No." Jasmine answered. "I'm hungry and want one of those egg mcmuffin things you keep telling me about."

Eric laughed. "Come help me open this and then I'll buy you all the egg mcmuffins you want."

They opened the casket and stared down at the remains of the fallen angel. To Eric's surprise, it was much smaller than he had expected.

"I expected him to be taller." Eric admitted.

"Well, he was only seven." Jasmine shrugged as she knelt down. "Help me move him."

"He was just a kid?" Eric asked in shock.

"If it helps, he was a very bad kid." Jasmine said tiredly. "Now I'm going to move demon boy here and you're going to get what you came here for."

Eric nodded, knowing that Jasmine was right. Whatever questions he had about the young fallen angel could wait. He knelt down as Jasmine lifted the skeleton to reveal a small hand mirror.

"I came here for a mirror?" Eric asked, slightly dismayed. He had been expecting something cool like a sword or a gun or even an ancient scroll that explained what the hell was going on, but no, it was a stupid mirror. He picked it up and looked at it, trying to figure out why he had come all this way for it.

Jasmine dropped the skeleton and both of them ignored the sound of cracking bones. "That mirror is very special."

"I bet." Eric replied. "You never know when you might need to look at yourself."

Jasmine chuckled. "Move your fingers."

Eric looked up and saw that Jasmine was about to close the lid. He quickly moved out of the way and the lid slammed shut. They climbed out of the grave, mirror in tow. He sat the mirror carefully on the ground. Even though he wasn't sure what its importance was, he knew he needed to be careful with it. The two of them worked together to fill the grave back up. By the time they were done, both of their stomachs were grumbling.

"Come on." Jasmine said, taking Eric's hand. "Let's go get breakfast "

Eric paid for their breakfast and they took their trays to a secluded corner of the local McDonalds.

"I can't believe you ordered seven." Eric shook his head as Jasmine began to devour her breakfast.

"You're one to talk." Jasmine said with her mouth slightly full. She swallowed and wiped her mouth with her hand. "You ordered just as many, and you got those potato things. What are those?"

"Hashbrowns." Eric explained. "Want one?"

Jasmine nodded and took a hashbrown of Eric's tray. She took a bite of the fried potato and smiled. "Oh that's good."

"I told you." Eric replied. "Just wait till you have a Big Mac."

"That's the burger right?" Jasmine asked. "When are you going to take me to the Hub for one of those chili dogs you keep yapping about?"

"I do not yap." Eric argued.

"Oh please." Jasmine laughed. "You practically drool every time the subject comes up."

Eric shrugged. "So you promised me you'd tell me about the mirror." The object was currently wrapped up in Eric's sweat shirt in his duffle bag, locked safely in the Vista Cruiser.

Jasmine sat her third sandwich down and took a sip of her orange juice. "There's heaven, hell and the place in between."

"Right." Eric nodded in understanding. "That's where Jackie is."

"Exactly." Jasmine nodded. "My people would call it purgatory, but it goes by many different names. Those who are near death go there to decide their fate."

"I would have thought God would be the one to decide that."

"No." Jasmine answered. "God wants everyone to have free will, even Angels."

"This is why some of them disagreed with him, and separated themselves from his love." Eric assumed.

"Which is what hell is." Jasmine finished Eric's train of thought. "When a person goes to the place in between, they have to go through a number of trials and given the situation, are usually forced to face what brought them there in the first place. In the case of your friend, she will have to face all the hurt that your other friends put her through. It is not an easy journey and sometimes people don't get through it, but if they do, they are given the chance to forgive."

"So she has to decide if she forgives Hyde?" Eric asked. "So if she does, she'll wake up?" He asked hopefully.

"No, she will then be given the choice as to whether she wants to live or stay where she is."

"You mean die?"

"No, she would alive so long as her body was."

Eric choked on his breakfast. "You mean as long she would be in a coma forever?"

"Yes." Jasmine answered as she handed Eric his orange juice.

"So tell me about this place." Eric requested.

"It is the place…you want to know what it looks like." Jasmine guessed.

"Don't you know?"

Jasmine shook her head. "No." She said honestly. "Because it changes, people change it. If you were to go, you would be somewhere that meant something to you, but it wouldn't be the same for anyone else. I'm told it's usually not what people expect though."

"Let me guess, half of the journey is figuring out why the place is important."

"Yeah." Jasmine replied.

Eric could only hope that Jackie was somewhere she could understand the importance of, and that she was strong enough to deal with what was in store for her. The thought of his future self being there brought only a small amount of comfort. Both Jasmine and Umi had explained his role as guide, but that was all he was. In the end, it would be up to Jackie to decide her fate.

Which brought him to the question, what if she chose to stay?

"Tell me about the mirror." Eric said after taking his last bite.

"You know, I like these." Jasmine said. "Although I don't think eggs should be square."

"You get used to it." Eric retorted. "Now tell me about the mirror."

Jasmine sighed. "Fine." She stood up. "I want a coke."

Eric sighed and handed Jasmine some money out of his wallet. "Get me one too."

Jasmine nodded and walked away from the table. Eric could sense that Jasmine was stalling, but if a minute or two was what she needed to collect her thoughts, then that's what he would give her.

Five minutes later, she hadn't returned. Thinking she had gone to the restroom, he closed his eyes and continued to wait.

Ten minutes later, he was asking a woman with a small kid if there was anyone in the restroom. The woman shook her head and Eric ran outside. He looked around and quickly found her standing at the edge of the sidewalk.

"You're going to get run over." Eric yelled at the angel.

Jasmine turned around. "I saw him."

Eric ran up to the woman. "You saw who?"

"Him." Jasmine's voice was laced in fear. "He was walking this way. He is here, Eric."

"Who?" Eric asked, confused.

"The last of the fallen." Jasmine whispered. "I could feel it deep in my core, it was him."

"You think he's looking for the mirror?" Eric asked worriedly. "Well, I say we get as far away from him as possible. Let's go." He pulled Jasmine away from the street towards his car.

"I'm assuming that I need to be scared of this guy?" Eric asked as the moment they were on the highway back to Point Place.

"He is the only being who has ever terrified me." Jasmine admitted. "He will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants."

"What does he want?" Eric was almost afraid to ask.

"A bride."

Eric almost laughed but caught himself. "He wants a what?"

"A bride." Jasmine repeated herself. "With a bride, he'll be able to father a child, again."

"You mean that angel back there was that guy's kid?" Eric asked. Jasmine only nodded.

"Right." Eric said to himself. "The guy wants a family, because the family that destroys the world together stays together."

"He will realize that his son's grave has been disturbed, and he will want retribution."

"You mean I have a millennium old demon after me now?" Eric asked, nervously. "Because of a mirror, which by the by, you still haven't told me what it's for!"

"I don't know!" Jasmine yelled, causing Eric to swerve in the road.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Eric yelled back. "I thought you knew!"

"No." Jasmine admitted. "All I knew was that I needed to bring you there and that something was inside the grave, but I didn't know what. I'm as confused about that thing as you are."

"Great." Eric huffed.

Jasmine leaned back. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Eric replied. "But I don't think it's safe for you here."

Jasmine looked at Eric sharply. "What about you?"

"I'll be okay." Eric said. "I doubt that guy, what's his name by the way?"

"He goes by Warrick."

Eric nodded. "Figures, anyway, I doubt Warrick knows to look for me, so I'll be okay and I can come back to Africa and then we'll double up on my training."

"What about the mirror?"

"I'll keep it safe." Eric promised the angel.

"That mirror might be the only defense against him and his army." Jasmine informed Eric.

"I figured as much." Eric said as they reached the Point Place hospital. "We're going to go in there and act like nothing is wrong, got it?"

"Understood." Jasmine saluted Eric and then placed a kiss on his cheek before getting out of the car.

Eric smiled and then picked up the duffle bag. It would never leave his sight again.

"So you weren't really married?" Hyde had filled him in on what he had missed.

"Yep."

"So not only do I miss the wedding and the marriage but I missed the break up as well? That sucks." Eric pouted.

"You also missed Donna kicking Sam's ass." Fez told him.

"Man, I miss everything." Eric whined. If they only knew.

Hyde and Eric sat in the hospital cafeteria drinking their cokes in silence. Eric was doing his best not to upset Hyde. He didn't want him going off like he had before.

Finally, Hyde spoke. "Have you ever had one of those moments where you don't feel like yourself?"

Eric nodded, "Once or twice, yeah."

"Well, that's the way I've felt all year. I just keep saying and doing these things that I'm pretty sure I'd never do."

"So you're like possessed?" Eric asked, slightly confused by Hyde's meaning.

Hyde gave Eric a glance, "No man, it's more of the opposite."

There was more silence as both contemplated Hyde's words.

"Do you love her?" Hyde asked, referring to Jasmine.

Eric was taken aback. "Of course I do. I mean, it's different than what I had with Donna sure, which takes some getting used to." He lied through his teeth.

"So, you're not sure." Hyde said.

"No, I'm sure. Why wouldn't I be sure?" He was anything but sure. He loved Jasmine as a friend, as a teacher, but not in the way a man should love a woman, not in the way he loved Donna.

Hyde just shrugged and stood up. "I'm going back up stairs, you coming with?"

"Yeah, I just… I think I'm gonna go to the chapel for a minute." Eric said as he followed Hyde out of the cafeteria.

Hyde nodded and shrugged. "I think Bob's there, so you'll have someone to sit with."

The chapel was empty as Eric entered it. He sat in the front pew and looked up at the cross.

"Well, you know by now why I'm here, so I'm not going to bother with introducing myself, or explaining why I'm here, I just have one question. Why me? Why us? Alright, so that's two questions, but it doesn't matter. I can feel it, what's to come, and I can honestly say I'm scared shitless and I want nothing more than to crawl into my bed and suckle my thumb while my mommy tells me everything will be alright, but it's past that time. I've got to go learn how to be a man." Eric stood up from the pew and looked into the flame of one of the two candles on the altar. Inside it he saw his past, his present and future all at once. He walked up to the flame and closed his hand around it.

"Amen."

Eric opened his palm and breathed a sigh of both relief and shock when he saw that he wasn't burned. What did this mean? Was he already changing? Had Jasmine or Umi put a spell of protection around him? He would have to ask them when he returned.

After Jackie's battle with the grim reaper and seeing Jasmine off and a little bit of teasing from his friends, Eric wanted nothing more than to spend some time with the woman who held his heart.

"Wanna go for a walk?" He asked, standing up from his chair after Donna returned from the restroom.

"Uh, sure." Donna said with only a slight hint of hesitation.

"Jasmine took the earlier flight back." Eric informed her as they walked through the park across the street from the hospital.

"Oh." She replied.

"She has our luggage too, so that I could stay here as long as I need to, without having to worry about… all that." He gestured lamely. "Except for my trusty bag."

Donna nodded at Eric and continued to walk. She looked up at the dark clouds heading their way and sighed to herself.

"How much time do you have?" She suddenly asked Eric.

"That depends, are you willing to drive me to the airport?" He smiled.

Donna hugged herself and nodded, "Yeah."

Donna led Eric through the woods to the place they found Jackie. She wasn't sure what was drawing her back to that spot, but something inside her needed to be there.

"Is this it?" He asked. The rain had washed away all traces that Jackie had been there.

"I just remember running… screaming her name…I don't think I've screamed so much in my life." Eric put his arms go around her, pulling her in as she cried.

"Jackie's strong." Eric reminded Donna and himself.

Donna sniffed and pulled back. "We should go."

His flight number was being called and Eric wanted nothing more than to stay, but he had a job that he needed to do, for her. He only hoped that someday he would be able to make her understand.

"So…"

"So…" Eric agreed.

"I guess you should go." Donna gestured.

Eric nodded, "Yeah."

Donna took a step forward, "I'm really going to miss you Eric."

Eric took a step towards Donna. "I'm gonna miss you too."

Donna leaned up and kissed Eric gently on his lips.

"Take care of yourself and Jasmine."

"I will, and you… there's more to you than Point Place, don't forget that." He knew she didn't understand what he was really telling her. Get far away from this place, from that man, as you can. Donna was smart though, she'd know what to do.

Donna laughed, "I won't." She pushed him playfully, "Now go."

"Fine!" He exclaimed, holding up his hands. "I'm gone."

Eric watched Point Place disappear into the distance. The moment it was nothing more than a tiny speck, he turned back in his seat and opened his book.

"Okay Atlas, show me what you've got."

* * *

I'm a quarter of the way finished with the next chapter in which Eric returns, and the one after that, which is Donna centric. There will be plenty of JH in the next couple chapters, don't worry!


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